A Mighty Passion Volume 1: In Vino Veritas
by amightypassion
Summary: When two former adversaries, Sand and Torio, meet one night in the Library, they get more than they bargain for from each other. Some chapters will contain adult scenarios. 18 and up. Reader discretion advised. Reviews always appreciated.
1. Chapter 1

**Volume 1 of A Mighty Passion: In Vino Veritas **

Authors' note:

We apologize for the mangled languages. We used several different translators and dialects and pieced them together as best we could.

The story is put together from individual Sand and Torio POV paragraphs from each author hence the unique back and forth style. While each author has a general idea of where the storyline is going, each post and response is entirely a surprise to the receiving writer in an attempt to give the story a realistic unpredictable flow while maintaining the nature of the characters.

Additionally, there are two Knight Captains who are part of the story: Meaghan (the Shard-Bearer) and her twin brother Cairan Farlong.

* * *

**_Part I: A Very Good Year_**

Torio hated dust. The Library at Crossroad Keep, it seemed, was a library for nothing _but_dust. Her quill scratched over the surface of her report. She was sifting her brain for the most recent trade routes from Luskan to Waterdeep that she could remember, while wondering if claiming she "forgot" would go over at all. She fingered the magical band around her wrist, looking for all the world like a delicate silver bracelet. It kept her here, at the Keep, unless Nasher allowed one of the Cloaktower mages to change the spell; and even then, she was only allowed to travel where they wanted her to go.

It also was supposed to inflict quite a bit of pain, a level of sadism she hadn't thought the Lord of Neverwinter was capable of. It had impressed her, when she learned of it. They hadn't used it on her._Yet._

She sat back, running a hand through her hair, a look of distaste on her face as she stared at the eloquent report sitting before her, fighting back a sneeze once more.

Sand walked purposefully into the Library. He knew there was a book here about Lantan portal construction that might be useful...

He stopped short when he spotted the woman (_Ah, you're being far too generous here... _) sitting back in her chair, her normally neat hair a mess on her head as she ran her hand through it. He caught the silver around her wrist and smiled. He knew what that was. He had helped enchant it.

"Ah..." he spoke up silkily. "I see Lord Nasher has provided the bitch with a pretty leash with which to tether her to her kennel..."

_Wha...?!_Torio glanced up at the moon elf through the fringe of her hair; _blast_, she hadn't heard him come in. "Ah, rewarding yourself with a little break from your trinket enchanting, are you? It must be hard work, casting cantrips." She stretched languidly, her shoulders popping audibly; _gods, how I hate these stiff chairs, what I wouldn't give for a cushioned seat..._She merely arched a brow at his comment about the flash of silver on her wrist, but inside she seethed a little; the pleased note in his voice told her all she needed to know. He had had a hand in making the gods-be-damned thing, of that she was certain.

"Hmm." Sand purposefully turned his back to her and began scanning the shelves. "Ah Torio. What would you know of cantrips and magic hmm? Oh...but that's right. Nothing." He turned back to her. "Not an ounce of magical potential in you, is there? Had to resort to other means to get Garius to notice you. Though by the way you dress...really... I'm sure it wasn't difficult."

Torio's voice was merely amused. The comment on her form fitting (and rather worn looking, by now) clothing sailed over her shoulder like so much water on a duck's back. She'd heard all _that_before. "Yes, well, I see when they tethered _you_to Neverwinter, they didn't even bother with a leash. Not too impressed with your potion mixing, are they?" She absently examined the nails on her hand. Even in captivity, she kept them well manicured; a last stand against her accursed servitude. "If you're jealous, maybe they can make you an ornamental collar; fitting, for a boot-licking lapdog."

Sand was irritated but kept his face cool. He had been hoping to get some peace and quiet tonight and get some reading done. The rest of the Keep was so chaotic; the Library had become his refuge.

_And now that Luskan harlot was here..._He was regretting having anything to do with having her here, as advantageous and strategic as it was.

He pulled a thick tome from the shelf. "Must have been frustrating, living in Luskan, all that magic and you, with no ability, no power." He snapped his fingers, calling up a _Light_spell and held it up to her face.

Torio squinted slightly against the light spell; the Library was dim at the best of times, and she hated having to flinch back slightly from Sand's spell. _Blast, and double blast. You won't get me that easily..._

Sand was pleased to see her twitch at his sudden, harmless spell. He quickly examined her face. She looked tired and drawn and had she not always that cold, calculating stare he might have even said she was pretty, in a frigid sort of way.

But after a moment, Torio merely snorted. "Yes, well, it's funny that with no magical ability...which, apparently, you style yourself with having a copious enough amount of to flaunt...I still managed to wield more influence in Luskan's Towers than you did in all your long, _long_years there."

The elf felt his insides roll over a little at her mention of his years in Luskan. He had tried so hard to push those memories down, to distance himself from the Hosttower... "My dear Torio," he said in a voice which clearly showed there was nothing dear about her. "For all your reputed power, where has that left you? Chained to a Keep because of the mercy of your enemies, writing..." His eyes flicked over to the parchment "...a report on trade routes."

He pulled out the chair across from her and sat, observing her over his steepled fingers. "Where are the Luskan mages now? They are certainly taking their time in coming to your aid, your rescue. For all the influence you obtained, you are currently very much alone." He paused. "And you are sadly mistaken about my purpose. I am here, unlike you, because I choose to be here; because I have the foresight to see beyond and know the dangers of the King of Shadows. More than I can say for you, or any Luskan. And who knows Torio, one day you might need one of my healing potions and maybe you'll be grateful I'm here. Wouldn't that be the day."

Torio leaned back against the table she'd been working at, partly to look up into his face, but mostly to get away from that blindingly bright spell. "If I ever need _anything_of yours, I doubt I'd be grateful." She practically spat the last word, her pale grey eyes narrowing into almost slits. "In fact, I doubt I'd even swallow it."

Where was this coming from? Normally she kept a cooler head than this. _Must be all the damn writing..._

Sand was surprised at her for her sudden outburst. _Touched a sore spot, have we? _"Torio,Torio. There's no need to play the martyr here. I would gladly give you a potion if ever you needed it. But..." he added. "If you won't take it, I won't waste them on you."

"Spare me," she said evenly. "Trying to convince me you're capable of pity?" She thumped the bracelet around her wrist with her fingernail, making it tiiiiing!

"Pity? Dear me no. Just...fairness." He gently picked up her wrist and squinted at the bracelet - it thrummed with a powerful magic that Sand could detect but wondered if others could as well_. Her hands are as cold as her face - and likely her heart. _"But really - what do Luskans know about fairness?"

Torio merely watched him as he inspected the bracelet on her wrist. "You should know plenty," she said quietly. "You were one, once." She inhaled sharply, her lips twisting in a wry smirk. "And left with your tail firmly between your legs, if I rightly recall."

Sand raised an eyebrow. "You would be an idiot if you did not fear the Hosttower when you left them. What I did was very smart and I'm alive now for it." He let go of her wrist. "As for your...rise and...fall - I will give you this. It was impressive while it lasted. A shame you picked the wrong master."

She rubbed her wrist when he released it to her, a tired, scornful, half-laugh shaking her shoulders. "I didn't pick him so much as I was picked. Bah, why am I even bothering talking to you? You'll most likely wander off and cackle over my predicament with Sir Nevalle over tea like a couple of clucking hens." She stood, pacing up and down the bookshelf, her legs aching from sitting on the hard chair for so long.

Sand watched her pacing. "Why you are talking to me? Maybe, dear Torio, because I am the only who understands where you are coming from. As you so rightly pointed out, I was a Luskan once." He closed his eyes briefly. "Once." Sand sniffed the air disdainfully. "As for Sir Nevalle, Nasher's Right Hand - hardly. Our associations are strictly business. This - " He waved vaguely at her. " - is not business."

Torio leaned back against a bookshelf, eyeing Sand in wry amusement. "Not business? Then what is it, exactly? Are you bored, maybe?" Vaguely, she registered that the Library's cold flagstones were pressed against her bare feet, and she glanced at the table, where her heeled slippers were resting underneath her chair. _Blast that. _She'd taken them off to keep her pinched toes from going numb. She was shorter than most human women, and Garius had gotten her in the habit of wearing the heels; it made her taller, more imposing, intimidating. _"No one is going to take a woman seriously when she has to crane her neck to speak to them."_

Thankfully, due to her sudden lack of inches, her skirt bunched against the floor and covered her naked toes, but she suddenly felt like she'd left for a battle without her shield.

Sand made a show of absentmindedly flipping through the tome, causing a thin puff of dust to rise from the yellowed pages every time they fell together. This book was only volume one of four. "Come now Torio. Surely we can talk as... well not friends perhaps, but comrades on the same side?" He smiled. "And besides - it takes two to carry on a conversation. You haven't exactly left the Library yet either, and I know the enchantment on the bracelet does not prevent you from doing that. You don't have to keep talking to me, you know."

Torio's mouth twisted into a wry smile that didn't reach her eyes. "Well, congratulations. You've managed to be more entertaining than paperwork. Nicely done."

Sand laughed a genuine chuckle at her cutting comment. "Well - if it means anything, I'm glad to say the paperwork hasn't dulled _you_either."

She quickly blew a strand of hair out of her eyes with a disdainful twitch of her head. "As for Luskan...you might actually have a point, for once, but the Hosttower is merely one of the few monsters under the bed. Luskan's home to more than just magic; although you probably wouldn't know, having scraped at the Tower's door without regard to anything else your entire time there." She chuckled coldly. "And since you know absolutely nothing about those other little monsters, I'd suggest you watch your tongue before insinuating my intelligence is somehow lacking because I chose to side with whom I did." Her voice had been easy, even, at the beginning of her short tirade, but she bit the last words off scathingly, her eyes narrowing.

Sand stood and stepped in front of her pacing, his hand reaching for the second and third volumes, glancing over his shoulder at her. "Before you put words into my mouth, I never said anything about your intelligence. You had to be intelligent to get as far as _you_did. But look where it's gotten you. So... either it was a comment on your wisdom or your taste in men." Looking at her he realized that she was about his height. _Hmm - short for a human. She always did seem taller. _He pulled the books from the shelves. "And please do tell me about the other little monsters. Nothing I love more than a good bed time story."

Torio eyed him as he reached for a book and glanced back at her, his sculpted Elven face intent, brows furrowed. There was an elegance, an intelligence to his face that clashed with her memories of Garius' cruel features. She didn't realize she had been watching him steadily until he spoke again.

She looked away from him, resuming her pacing. "Believe me, if I could have afforded a _taste_in men, as you put it, my sights would have not been set on Garius. He offered an...escape. A chance to become greater than what I was, to use my talents for something other than..." she bit off her sentence. _Trying to give them more leverage to use against you, Torio? _"Other than survival." She fingered the neckline of her bodice absently, a frown pulling at the corners of her mouth.

Her eyes flitted to his face again. "As for bedtime stories, I wouldn't _dream_of sharing such things with you. I'd never forgive myself if I gave that sharp mind of yours terrible nightmares." Her voice carried a hint of amusement; her face was as blank as a stone wall.

Sand's lips twisted up in a slight smile. "Well then perhaps I owe you a _diola lle _for your compliment and your thoughtfulness towards my peace of mind." He gave her a mock bow.

"Hmph," she said, eyeing him cautiously. "Llie naa creos, Amin inty."_You are welcome, I suppose._

Sand raised his eyebrows at her, impressed. "Llie rangw amin?" _You understand me? _"Well..." he drawled out in a lazy voice. "You continue to surprise me, dear Torio. Tell me – what did Garius teach you? He couldn't have been a kind master." He sat back down and turned to her again, leaning back in his chair and stretching his legs before him. "Really - I thought Garius would have been perfect for you. Ambitious, powerful, ruthless... Imagine the swarm of undead children you could have left in your wake."

"Undead children..." Torio tried to picture it herself, and burst out laughing, her voice sharp and clear. "Garius and I didn't have that...kind of arrangement. I was a...pupil, of sorts." She arched a brow at his sudden interest. "He taught me letters, writing, politics, history; I know nearly twelve different languages. U'thet nindol? Xor mayoe naut?" _Recognize this? Or maybe not? _She loved the Drow words; even their language simmered with suppressed rage and heat, and she curled the words around her tongue like a sweet wine. "Or maybe you prefer Durpari? Rashemi? Netherese and Loross?" The last two were particular points of pride for her; Garius had rammed ancient draconic alphabets down her throat, had seared them into her skin and into her mind, until she practically had his collection of Netherese documents memorized by heart. "He was a harsh master and therefore, I learned much." Pride, yes...and a bitter taste at the back of her mouth.

Sand clucked his tongue. "Drow. Very impressive. I can't say I know much of that language other than basic recognition; I have no dealings them." He found himself being envious at her knowledge. "Languages aren't my specialty." He looked wistful for a moment. "So many books...Things sometimes get lost in the translation. You understand; the complexities and subtleties of the Elvish language don't translate well into Common."

_Llie ras utune he nae nowihn llie..._

_You could ask her to teach you..._

She was making him think in Elvish - something he hadn't done in ages since he rarely found another who spoke the language in a way that excited him...

Torio was fingering the spine of a book on the shelf behind her, absently glancing at the title. _Of Borags and Baalors; A Confession, by Lucidia the Demonlover. "_My gods, what do those twin fools _keep_in this Library? No wonder you spend so much time in here." Her shoulders gave an involuntary shudder at the thought of Aldanon in here, as well. _Don't think about it, don't think about it, don't think about it._

Sand waved a hand dismissively. "Lucidia provides a surprising amount of information on hidden, archaic laws surrounding the mating habits of baalors. I don't want to know how she came about it but - too much information is always better than not enough. We seem to be running into enough demons and undead these days, with our lovely warlock in the basement and the King of Shadows on the horizon."

She listened for a moment as he explained the book (if it could be deigned to be called that) and glanced back at it. "Hmm. I have to admit, I never paid too much attention to demons or their ilk. Garius seemed loathe to depend on them." _I wonder why? _She'd never questioned many of Garius' motives for doing anything, but now that her subsequent survival no longer depended on his whim of keeping her alive...

Sand narrowed his eyes at her, mulling over her previous words. "So if Garius isn't your type, who is? I can't imagine you'd go for the roses-and-candlelights and the poetry readings."

She snorted. "My 'type'...someone who can put coherent words together in a sentence without losing their elbow in their arse-end? You wouldn't believe some of the idiots Calimshan has in charge of their political affairs." She paused thoughtfully for a moment, pursing her lips as she examined the palm of her hand. "I haven't thought about it. 'Roses and Candlelights,' as you so eloquently put, have not been in my agenda."

Sand wasn't going to even try to read these books tonight. Torio was proving to be much more informative.

_And entertaining. Admit it Sand, you like talking to her._

He folded his hands gracefully. "Then from your words I suspect you haven't met many men whose verbal skills are up to par with your own." He smiled at her suddenly, emboldened by her sudden openness. "If not roses and candlelights, m'dear, then what? Whips and chains?"

Torio laughed. "Your mind is just begging for permanent scarring tonight, isn't it?" She wasn't quite sure what to say. Momentarily thrown off balance, she ran a hand through her hair, trying to keep her expression calm. "I've had my taste of chains, dear wizard, and they do not suit me at all." Her eyes flicked to the bracelet around her wrist. "I suppose...I was trained for battles with words, with knowledge; I would most certainly not find any company who lacked in either aspect very...stimulating." She glanced at him archly, her eyes hooded by her long lashes.

Sand gave an inward cringe when she frankly brought up the silver bracelet. _Not your smoothest moment. But what do you care? You helped make it._

He met her glance and he swallowed. She was giving him a different look than the usual scathing glare. He cleared his throat and asked simply, "And ah - and do you find this company stimulating?"

_Why do you care Sand? She's the enemy, remember?_

She sucked in a breath, her nostrils flaring imperceptibly as Sand met her eyes. The lack of his usual mockery intrigued her; she had expected a barb, a taunt, but an honest to gods question?

Hmmm.

"Dos kyorl, pholor lil uss rah, faern," she said, her voice smoother than silk, "Amin utu ta nauca n' nae rusv llie yat' arta noresh." _You see, on the one hand, wizard, I find it hard not to wring your neck on a daily basis. _She watched him for a moment, her eyes narrowing thoughtfully. "Leha arta i' n'at bell amin utu llie n'ataya." _But on the other, I find you strangely intriguing._

"Hmm." Sand studied her face, keeping his passive.

_What more did you expect from her? She was honest. That's saying a lot for Torio. She did say you were strangely intriguing. At least she didn't say she would have preferred the company of an intellect devourer._

"Amin sal llie thys llie cylaeria. Amin vaerase llie volalia." _I thank you for your honesty. I respect your privacy._

It was strange. When he spoke in Elvish to her, he found himself reverting to old customs he hadn't used in ... decades? Centuries? Goodness, she made him feel...

_...young?_

Sand quickly changed the topic. "So how exactly did you meet Garius? You had said he plucked you from the street. Literally? Figuratively?"

Underneath the pleased, pinkish haze that had settled on her mind, she realized he had asked her about Garius. Ice seemed to trickle up her spine. "And don't worry your pretty head about Garius, elf. He found me and I went with him, and that's all that you need to know, as of now." She broke his gaze momentarily, leaning back against the bookcase behind her and changing the topic back. "You seem to have more...developed conversational abilities than your comrades, at the very least."

He shook his head of the thought and laughed at her comment about his friends. "Yes well - they do seem to like bashing things and killing people. Conversations never seem to go as planned. For once I would have liked for us to meet an enemy, have a reasonable discussion and everybody go home without being covered in blood and gore. Just once. Really - is that too much to be asking for?"

She snorted down a laugh at the image of one of the adventurers..._maybe Grobnar?_ trying to talk themselves out of a violent situation. "Yes, well, I don't envy you your little adventures; bathing in blood was never one of my strong points."

_I always had someone else to do that for me._

Sand smiled, not in an unfriendly manner. "No - a woman like you would probably bathe in milk and honey and rosewater."

Torio chuckled dryly. "Jealous of the rosewater baths, Sand?"

Sand sniffed. "A hot rosewater bath would be highly preferable to bathing in a cold stream surrounded by an irritated ranger, a tormented paladin, an incoherent gnome, an alestinking dwarf and a womanizing bard." He glanced over at the books again. Maybe a glass of wine would help him relax and focus. He looked at her. "Perhaps I should leave you to your work and I could do some reading. Tanya naa manka nehel nauva n'shol amin." _That is, if you won't strangle me. _Then he added as almost an afterthought, "Amin cael n'nir fion manka nehel naaya ve' nae har amin?" _I have some wine if you would like to join me._

She stared at the report on her table. How long had it been since she'd tasted wine? The cook hated her; she heard "...that smarmy posh betch..." muttered every time she went down to get her meals, which were, ironically enough, devoid of most of the delicacies she knew the others dined on. Not that she blamed the woman; but water was so damn _boring_... With an imperceptible shrug of her shoulders, she said, "Amin shy's tik ei kar." _I wouldn't mind a glass. _She walked towards her chair, scooping up her work and sliding the papers into a sheaf in the middle of the table.

Her shoes.

_Damn._There was no way she could slip her aching feet back into them without having to sit down and struggle with them for near five minutes. She frowned as she sat down, trying to curl her feet up as much as possible as her skirt hitched up against the seat. She arched a brow at Sand, as if to say _Well?_"I'm assuming you have some sort of private 'stash'? It would explain Aldanon's concentration lapses whenever he comes in here."

Sand stood and walked to a nondescript bookshelf, pulling out a large thick volume. Behind it was a recently opened bottle of Elderwine and a single glass. He sat back down across from Torio and pulled the cork. "Aldanon would probably think straighter _with_the drink than without." He poured the wine into the glass. "Amin hiraetha." _I am sorry_. "But I only have the one glass. I am not accustomed to company." He passed the glass to her and raised the bottle in a toast. "As they say in Luskan, Aa' i'sul nora lanne'lle." _May the wind fill your sails_. He took a healthy pull from the bottle directly. _Very classy Sand._

She took the glass, eyeing it critically. "Hmm...Elderwine?" She swirled the liquid, holding the glass under her nose, and then took a cautionary sip, rolling the liquid around in her mouth before swallowing. She licked her lips thoughtfully. "Not a terrible vintage...I think I prefer Evereska's blend, though." She took a long drink from the glass. _Oh gods, it's wine. Wine! _It was barely an inch back in the direction from which she had fallen, but it was something; a step, at least.

_Now, how to move farther than a step..._

Her eyes filled with amusement as she watched him swig from the bottle, leaning an elbow on the table as she held her glass up. "I think your adventuring friends are rubbing off on you, Sand; that hearty swig bears the mark of the dwarf." She took another drink, her eyes gleaming at him over the rim of the glass.

Sand took another swallow of the wine. _Nice. Smooth. Dry. Nutty, with a hint of elderberry._

The books could wait a bit longer.

_You miss having a good conversation, don't you?_

Suddenly it seemed as though the pressure was on to make small talk and Sand was at a loss for words. _Hmm - ironic. Normally wine does the opposite._

She was watching him.

"The dwarf _drives_one_to_drink." He picked up the bottle and then refilled Torio's glass, before taking another gulp. "I haven't had a bottle of Evereska's since before the siege of 1371." Sand leaned on the table, mirroring Torio's pose. He could feel the warmth of the wine coursing through his veins and he knew his cheeks were probably getting red.

She cocked an eyebrow. "That's quite a bit of time; you're missing out. Running back and forth between Luskan and Neverwinter taking up too much of your time, is it?" She took another drink, then ran a finger around the edge of her glass. "Or maybe it's chasing after pretty, raven-haired Knight Captains that's eating up your time now?" The corner of her mouth curled up into a slightly wicked smile. "No...there was only one glass in the Library, wasn't there?"

Sand laughed - his laughter sounding bitter even in his ears. "Only one glass." He rolled the thought over in his mind. "Like you, I need certain requirements met before I find any person interesting. Additionally - Meaghan - well, I'm old enough to be her great, great, great..." Normally Sand's mind could calculate the number of greats in his head with rapid fire accuracy since he had made a habit of mentally calculating his age compared to humans but now the alcohol was slowing him down. He took another drink. "Many greats in any case - grandfather. So. No, thank you."

Torio leaned forward slightly, placing her chin on her free hand. "Mai saer amin, shojas; saesi'm bai talali eisyl lle shor. Shia eisi o mor caesi, shysol shor Neverwinter?" _So tell me, wizard; there's no manacle around your wrist. Why is it then, that you're working for Neverwinter?_

He leaned forward even further, the words now sliding more easily from his tongue. "Neverwinter. Amin cael amin vaeryl." _I have my reasons. _"Nehel nyar amin eirdy Garius nil. San amin nauva nyar nehel." _You tell me about Garius first. Then I will tell you._

Torio's fingers imperceptibly clenched around her glass, but she merely looked into it, her hand falling to the table. "Why the sudden interest in Garius?" Her fingers tapped against the table as she considered for the briefest moments. It's not as if the knowledge of her past could cause her any real harm, not anymore; and she might need to know something that the elf could tell her. _This had better be worth it._

She took a long drink from the glass and gingerly set it back down on the table. "Garius found me on the street; literally. You know Luskan, it's not exactly a pauper's paradise, and I had no magic or money to speak of." Her mouth twisted wryly. "He found me, in the middle of the road, screaming at the top of my lungs. One of my customers had struck me, and the guards where I worked...Nephila Decantina's place...had thrown him out; I was so enraged I followed, and threw every possible crass and callous word I could think of into his face while the good people of Luskan walked by. He was quite an honored man; a justicar, I think."

Her face was hard as she stared at her glass. "I wanted to wound him; strip him bare. Everyone on the street was watching us, and they knew who he was...and what I was. He was discredited within the hour, and stripped of his position for consorting with...me." She couldn't even say the actual word. _Damn these old memories. _"Garius was impressed. He offered his protection that day; my servitude in exchange for more knowledge, more power, more influence than I ever could have had on my own."

Here she sat back, and sniffed disdainfully, taking another drink from her glass. "I think even _you_would have taken the chance, wizard, given the odds."

Sand refilled her glass again, mulling over her story. He took another drink, letting the wine settle on his tongue before swallowing. "I am interested in Garius, my dear girl, because he is one of the many enemies we will have to face in the coming weeks. Knowledge is power as you have so astutely pointed out in your little tale. And you - you were his most trusted servant for years, weren't you? So if I can figure out why he selected you, what he saw in you, then perhaps I can understand him better."

_And you as well..._

She pursed her lips, frowning at him thoughtfully. "While you make a good point, my dear Sand, I doubt understanding Garius is going to help you stop him. From what I've seen of their preparations, it'll take a bit more than mere knowledge." She sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "And while I am...obligated, to help you and the rest, I'd rather not display every skeleton in my closet in the process." Her head felt light and rather warm, like she'd drank too much..._oh._Her glass had spontaneously refilled again...but it wasn't as if she had access to fine things like this on a daily basis, and she wasn't prepared to stop.

He stared into the rapidly emptying wine bottle. So this must be what Khelgar felt at last call.

"You were... well... lucky I suppose, that you were in the right place at the right time. Do you ever wonder where you'd be now if he hadn't been walking on the street?" Sand got a funny, faraway look in his eyes. "Pai lle aelaes shylaes cyrn eir sor shyr cali shael poraesael?" _Do you ever wonder how all this would have been different?_

"No," she said quietly, her voice even as steel. "I know what 'all this' would have been if things had been different. As unappealing as my predicament is now, Sand, if anything had been different from the way it was,I would have most certainly been dead. And not merely weeks ago, hanging from the gallows, but years ago." She took another long drink, and cursed eloquently. "I thought I only had to tell you about Garius?" Her eyebrow cocked inquisitively, a slight smile playing on her lips. "I believe we had a bargain, and it's your turn to speak, wizard."

Sand polished off the bottle of wine and pushed it aside. He would have to remember to ask Sal to order another bottle. Or maybe another case at this rate. He leaned forward, resting his head (which was suddenly feeling heavier and lighter all at the same time) on his hands. "Deeeeeeear girl." He paused, trying to regain control of his speech. "You need not concern yourself with how the knowledge will be used to stop Garius. We will make sure it is all put to good use and you can rest easy knowing you've helped Neverwinter save the world. Under the penalty of death. " The cynicism was thick in his voice.

She laughed at that. "Yes, well, _pardon_me if I don't pat myself on the back."

"And additionally, anything you tell me that isn't helpful? Well - we can just keep that between two former Luskans." Sand had closed his eyes briefly. "Well. To make a short story even shorter... I was... asked to leave the Academy in Neverwinter. Under not so pleasant terms. I was fairly disgusted with it all so that's when I left for Luskan." He met her gaze full on, leaning forward. "You are aware of how it works there, my dear. To gain knowledge, you have to pay. And after a while - I wasn't prepared to pay anymore. But the smallest refusal, and you are marked for death. So I came to Neverwinter and sought protection."

He gave her another slight smile. "I suppose you could say I owed Neverwinter a favor. And favors returned to Neverwinter and Nasher are never small. And that, my dear Torio, is my story. But - regardless - the King of Shadows _must_be stopped. I think you realize this as much as I do. Undeath would not be very becoming of you."

She listened to his story with poorly disguised interest; truth to tell, she'd heard rumors about Sand when she'd learned he'd be representing Meaghan and Cairan at the trial for Ember, and she'd pulled as many strings as she could to get whatever dirt there might have been on the moon elf; only to find that the wizard had covered his tracks impeccably well. Someone who could disappear that thoroughly was more than a little interesting, in her book.

Sand shook his head to clear it and gave Torio a wry smile. "But please...at the very least, dear, do tell me what you called your poor justicar. I would hate to be a man on the other side of your tongue's lashing."

Torio noticed he was using the word 'dear' rather fast and loose, the more the wine seemed to disappear. Her mouth curled suggestively. "Ais lle aelaes paerosi sai shi ol si ael os oli os amin sylia jharol, vaeri...ria eir tael, jhaer ti cyrn." _If you ever desire to be on the end of one of my tongue lashings, please...by all means, let me know. _

She opened her mouth to respond to his solemn statement on the King of Shadows, something cutting just waiting on the edge of her lips, when Sand leaned in further... "Air shyr shi ei vololaedi sai shi ol si vaelaelol ael os ei sylia eir molaer eir lle." _It would be a privilege to be on the receiving end of a tongue as skilled as yours._

Her eyebrows practically shot up to her hairline as she leaned forward, as well. "My, my, Sand," she said, her voice low and purring. "Desperate for a good tongue _lashing,_are we?"

Sand felt a small trill in his stomach at her reply. Or rather, her voice. She was watching him with those sharp eyes of hers, the pupils large in the dimness of the Library. He smiled coolly, never taking his eyes off her. The wine was definitely making him bold.

"Desperate? No - I have been without a good woman's company for decades and I can wait another century if need be. I wouldn't expect you humans to understand." He leaned forward and now they were both inches away over the table, staring challengingly into one another's eyes. He could smell her skin from here, a mixture of human sweat (_slightly sour with a sliver of desperate mortality_), dust (_how he loved the smell of dust especially from books_) and candle wax (_a strangely comforting smell for him_). "Sher eilia tal shyr shi eil aidor sai ses pyrn lle mas sylia ais lle oraesaer air, Helkaer." _But any man would be an idiot to turn down your sharp tongue if you offered it, Icy One._

She was, for once, momentarily speechless. _Perhaps the wine is numbing your tongue, girl. _She pursed her lips thoughtfully, tilting her head to look at him; normally the slightest innuendo from her would have most men coughing politely, pulling at tight collars, and changing the subject; it was a tactic many women used in political circles.

But it wasn't working. He was throwing it back as good as he got, and she was nonplussed. And..._admit it. _More than a little excited. "You know," she said silkily, "I'm not as cold as you might think, my dear wizard." Her bare foot slid across the floor under the table, and lightly ran up his trouser leg, tracing his calf underneath the fabric.

Sand nearly yelped when he felt her foot slide up his calf. _When was the last time a woman touched you like this, Sand? _He hadn't realized that she was shoeless. _But it explains the height._

He schooled his face into calmness and arched an eyebrow at her, his lips giving her a slight smile. Inside though, his heart was hammering in his chest and he could feel his breathing increase.

_Just the wine, just the wine, just the wine..._

"Vyli air sai amin sael, ais lle eisi sholo sai ver lle tyli shaesi sar maer tyr os lle air, Helkaer." _Prove it to me then, if you are willing to put your money where that sweet mouth of yours is, Icy One._

Torio's mouth twitched slightly_. My gods. _Well. This was an interesting development.

Her blood was rushing under her skin with prickling heat, due to the wine and the immediate closeness of Sand's face to hers. Part of her was whispering rather chillingly that this elf was her enemy. The thought, she noticed with amusement, did quite the opposite of deterring her.

She very slowly, deliberately, placed both hands palm down against the table, pushing herself forward until her cheek brushed against his; the faded smell of washing soap and the metallic, electric tang of dormant magic filled her nostrils as she brushed her lips against his sharply pointed ear. Her voice caught huskily in her throat as she murmured, "Eisi lle mesi lle ceri cyrn shar o'vi kaerol osaer ailai?"_Are you quite sure you know what you're getting yourself into?_

When her lips touched his ears, Sand nearly whimpered and he closed his eyes involuntarily. His hands tightened on the surface of the table in an attempt of self-control as he felt each breath of her words pressing against his ear. He didn't trust his voice to respond to her question.

_Oh Sand. Is that all it takes? For a woman to whisper Elven innuendos in your ear? _Without opening his eyes, he lifted a hand and quietly cast _Alarm_on the Library. In nearly the same breath he cast _Arcane Lock. _He pulled his face back from hers slightly, so that his nose was nearly touching hers and whispered, "Amin cali maelesaer os volalia thys eir jhaer 12 cys..." _I have secured our privacy for at least 12 hours..._

She had to laugh. The entire idea was ludicrous. It was _Sand_...she was nearly convinced that she hated the elf, she couldn't stand being in the same room with him without attempting to humiliate him, she...

_...she was kissing him..._

Somehow, her mouth had inched forward the last minute distance that spanned between them, and she was plying his own lips open with her tongue, tasting something decidedly unfamiliar and electrical, as well as the Elderwine all over again. _Not a bad year at all._

"You do realize," she murmured against his mouth, even as she slid her knees up onto the table to crouch in front of him, "That I am almost positively sure I dislike you intensely?" The fingers of one hand traced a strand of silky, dark hair that fell around his ear, brushing its tip before curling the hair around her fingers.

When her fingers touched the tips of his ear, Sand moaned into Torio's mouth as he felt the maddening tingle sear from his ears, through his head and down his spine. Reaching up he cupped her face roughly, returning her kiss, feeling her tongue inside his mouth. She was crouched in front of him, now, her body bent at the waist in front of him. All thoughts of books, and reports were abandoned.

"My dear Torio," he whispered hoarsely, "Rest assured that the dislike is mutual and enthusiastically returned."


	2. Chapter 2

_**Part II: The Cunning Linguist**_

"As long as we're clear, then," she murmured, and wriggled her legs out from under her, sitting squarely on the edge of the table, her skirts tangled and her legs dangling over the edge on either side of Sand's chair. He was pulling her face so tightly against his that she could hardly breathe; her heart kept hammering erratically against her ribs and her lungs were straining to keep up, and _my_gods_, he knows how to kiss..._

She needed a breath...she pulled her lips away from his and pulled his head closer to her, wrapping an arm around his neck. Closing her lips over the edge of his ear, she began nibbling gently (and breathing slightly more regularly.) Her hands slid around the base of his skull, pulling the shell of his ear into her mouth as she whispered, "Eil Amin cyrn lle caelaer taji sar shalaelaer."_And I know you helped make that bracelet._

And with that, she bit down, none-too-gently, easing the sting somewhat with a long, slow lick.

Sand's whole body gave a spasm when she bit his ear, the earlier tingle of sensation now turning into a full electrical discharge.

_Oh the little Luskan wench knew his sensitive spot now..._

She was practically straddling him; he could feel the heat emanating from her, from between her legs and it was causing a familiar heat to build between his legs. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her forcefully onto his lap.

She knew about the bracelet. Sand pressed his lips against the soft flesh of her neck, smelling how her skin now had a musky spiciness to it.

"Of course I did." He pulled her closer to him.

"How could I refuse..." He was nuzzling her ear now.

"...an opportunity to have the great Torio Claven..." His hands were now running up her back.

"...at my mercy?" And into her thick brown hair.

He firmly tilted her head back so he could look at her in the eye. "Amin pai byr ser lle - sai baes os sai thas." _I do not trust you - too near or too far._

Torio gasped as he pulled a hand through her hair, tilting her head back to look at him. A slow, lazy smile curled her lips. "You shouldn't trust me, wizard," she said, her voice sounding breathless even in her own ears. "Anywhere." His hands roving up her back were making her spine tingle as if little flames were crackling up though the center of her, and her legs...the heat seared between her legs, making it nearly impossible to sit still, and she could feel he was starting to respond to her, as well.

She gripped the back of his chair and adjusted herself so that she was firmly in place on his lap, purposefully sliding against him as she moved. All's fair, after all... "And bracelet or no..." she leaned forward, her elbows resting on his shoulders, while her hands still clung to the high back of his chair, "...at the moment, I do not seem to be the one at anyone's mercy." She plunged her tongue into his mouth, kissing him fiercely, shifting once more so that her skirt no longer bunched between them.

Sand fought back a moan when she slid against him, pressing against her. He could feel himself engorging further when she shifted and the hindering skirt fell aside. He returned her fervent kisses, pushing his tongue insistently past hers. Her lips were soft and beneath the taste of the wine, he could discern the sweet taste of some sort of lip ointment. A prisoner and yet ever much the vain lady. If Sand were the type, he would have growled appreciatively.

Instead, he pressed his cheek to hers and replied, "Torio, dear girl, I especially don't trust you now." He led a trail of kisses down her slender jaw, letting his teeth scrape against her throat before kissing her collarbone. "Not at anyone's mercy, hmm?" His lips moved to the top of her full breasts. "And you think I'm at yours, Rwalaer?" _Lusty One... _

She exhaled long and low, attempting to maintain some level of control as his lips burned across her skin; her fingers made quick work of the leather thong that held the elf's hair off of his face, plunging her fingers into the thick, black strands as he bent towards her breasts. "Don't think," she said breathlessly, "that this bracelet will keep you safe from _me_, wizard. Or anything else, for that matter."

Neither one of them appeared to be willing to acknowledge the growing urgency or desperation between them - and that was fine by Sand.

He had no intentions of making this a regular occurrence.

_Liar._

Semi-regularly?

_Try daily._

His hands moved to her bare calves, sliding gently up her legs until he reached where her skit was hiked up. He fingered the bottom of her form-hugging shirt and gave it an experimental tug. Her skin was hot against his cool fingertips. "Helkaer, lle maes sai shi taelol."_Icy One, you seem to be melting_.

When his cool hands touched her over-sensitized skin, Torio nearly gasped. _ "_You give yourself..." she raked her fingers back through his hair, sifting the strands between her fingers, "...too much credit..." she bent her mouth to his throat, sucking gently, "...you arrogant...pompous...sycophantic ..._oh, sweet Deneir.._." his cool, dexterous hand was sliding up her leg, making the muscles low in her stomach clench unbearably; the fingers of his other hand were plucking at her clothing, and she practically whimpered against his throat. _ Been too long, can't stand this, blast that elf and his infernal patience..._

Each insult she threw in his direction was acting only to fuel his desire. _Arrogant...pompous...sycophantic..._He found himself subconsciously thrusting his hip into her with each word. So few women, elves or humans, understood his love of the verbal sword. He spoke, his voice taking on a ragged edge, "Oh Torio, dear, I'm afraid. Really." His chest heaved when she began sucking on his throat. "Pai llie shys eil shi mar mi shai air jhaes malol." _Do your worst and we shall see who is left standing._

Torio furiously grasped the laces that held the top of his robe closed in one hand and twisted until they parted with a satisfying snap! Pushing the folds apart, she bent forward and ran her tongue along his collar bone. Like hell I'm giving up without a fight...

When she opened the front of his robes and he felt her tongue, he threw his head back against the chair. He could feel his loose dark hair around his shoulders. "Is that how you give your tongue lashings, dear giiiirrl..." The last word of the sentence ended in a groan. Without waiting further, he started pulling her shirt over her head.

Torio let out a muffle noise of protest as her delicate, form fitting shirt was yanked unceremoniously up around her ears. She wriggled helplessly for a moment, before releasing her hold on Sand and sliding it off, letting it fall down her arms. Her hair stood up around her face in a wild halo, and her face looked furious. "That's _silk_, you ignorant tool." The cool air of the Library felt positively chilling on her bare, heated skin, and she narrowed her eyes, sliding the shirt the rest of the way off of her arms with deliberate, exaggerated movements.

Sand smiled at her furious look. There was nothing better than seeing her angry, knowing he had somehow perturbed that cool exterior. "Oh _silk_ - I'm _sorry_, your Grace - I had forgotten her Highness' penchant for expensive fabrics..." He kissed her bare shoulders, seeing the goose pimples. Her hair was a mess, a far cry from its normally obsessively neat appearance. He wanted to feel her, feel that twisted Luskan mouth of hers on him... But this game was proving much too enjoyable.

His brain gave one last, feeble attempt to pierce through his lust-clouded mind.

_SAND! What are you doing?_

It would appear I am about to sleep with the enemy, as they say...

_Just so you are aware. All right, enjoy._

She let the shirt drop to the floor next to the chair, running her hands up to the torn laces in his robe. "This sets me at a disadvantage, you know. I feel I am forced to even the odds." She began pulling them apart with agonizing precision, her fingers brushing along his chest.

"Torio, in all the time I have known you, you have never been content to merely 'even the odds'." But Sand made no move to stop her; he merely raised his eyebrows. Sand could only lean back and watch Torio slowly, carefully pull apart the front of his robes. Her fingers were teasingly, flittingly brief on his chest. He took the opportunity to examine her bare torso, below lidded eyes. Unlike the warriors he was accustomed to traveling with, her skin was smooth without scars. Her breasts were full and rounded, the nipples erect in the cold library air. Her sight and her touch was pushing him to the limit of what he could take; he could feel his hardened member straining against his trews.

"Mmmm," Torio said absently, pushing his robe off of his shoulders; his body was lean, lithe, graceful looking and pale in the dim light, skin smooth and perfect...barring the few indiscreet burn scars on his arms, probably the results of some misfired spell or another. She leaned forward, sliding an arm around his neck as her bare torso pressed against his, shivering slightly at the relative coolness of his skin to hers.

"You are absolutely right, dear wizard," she murmured throatily, her nose nuzzling against his as she brushed her lips over his. Her other hand ran down across his stomach to his lap, sliding to where his thigh met his hip and pressing against his member. Her fingers gripped him through the fabric lightly. "Saesi'm aelaelol si or, paes shojas," she whispered against his mouth, "eil sael saesi'm val saes." _There's evening the odds, dear wizard...and then there's playing them._

Sand nearly lost control when she grabbed him between the legs; he felt his organ tightened between her fingers and he inhaled quickly. "Oh...Mystra...gods..." His fingers gripped her wrist and he pulled her hand away and he steadied himself

_A century without a real woman and she just touches you and you're nearly done...Quick! Distract her. _

He held her to him for a moment, feeling the heat of her bare skin against his chest. "Val saes?"_Playing them?_ He kissed her shoulders again; she had lovely delicate shoulders. "I have never known a Luskan to play fair. Amin shyl's vae thas shor lle, paes Torio." _I won't play fair with you, dear Torio. _He pressed his lips to her breast, taking the coral pink nipple inside his mouth, sucking back fiercely, using his tongue to flick against the stiffening flesh. His hands found the laces of her skirt and he began quickly undoing them.

A low, strangled moan escaped her throat before she could stop it as his mouth closed around her breast. "I expected..." she gasped, arching her back slightly as his tongue very capably began teasing her flesh, "...nothing less from you, Sand..." She felt those agile fingers brushing her lower back as Sand found the laces holding her skirt around her waist, and she wriggled slightly as her skin prickled and her muscles jerked. Being ticklish was never an advantage... She covered her lapse by cupping her hands around the base of his jaw, pulling his mouth harder against her body. "Playing fair never gets you anywhere, anyway." Bending down slightly, she took the tip of his sharply pointed ear in her mouth and suckled.

"Part of the Luskan philosophy, hmm, dear girl? Find your enemies weaknesses and exploit th-" She was suddenly sucking on his ear with such ferocity that Sand shuddered against her, her partially undone skirt momentarily forgotten. _Oh gods _- the pleasure was washing over him, threatening to drown him and he struggled to breathe.

"You Luskan harlot..." he moaned into her breast. _Sweet merciful gods _- if she kept this up, he was sure he was going to pass out from the sheer pleasure of it all. Could you die from carnal bliss? "Llie rafaelia cyrn cyrn sai iari sar tyr os lle." _You really do know how to use that mouth of yours._

He was pressed firmly between her legs, and she was finding it difficult not to undulate her hips against his, wanting to feel the length of him fully. Half of her was protesting outrageously as he whisked out the last of the bindings that held her skirt together, but the half that seemed to be control was very eagerly arching against him.

And now she was gyrating against him - he didn't even have his trews undone yet. There would be no way he could get her skirt off and his pants off while sitting. "Torio...dear... Oh_ Mystra!_... we're going to have to stand up...gods... just for a moment..." His mouth closed around her breast again, the other hand finding the supple flesh of her other breast. He grabbed her greedily, cupping her and then - cruelly, gave her nipple a twist as he bit down firmly on the other breast.

_Find your enemies weaknesses and exploit them._

Torio threw her head back in a sharp, strangled cry, agony and pleasure rocketing through her with such force that she nearly fell back on the table, her body twisting violently; her fingers clenched in his hair painfully as she attempted to steady herself. She gasped for breath, glaring down at him in a mixture of indignant fury and something akin to pleased awe. "You seem to be following a bit of Luskan philosophy yourself, wizard."

Sand hated to admit it but her pained cry had excited him. "Thank you." he murmured lowly into her ear. "I am glad to see my years in Luskan have not been a total waste."

Torio had to concede, while sitting on his lap was downright exhilarating, it was also turning out to be inexorably frustrating, as they were somewhat... confined. Pressing her hands against his shoulders, she pushed him roughly back against the high-back chair, lowering her feet to the ground and standing. With a slight shift of her hips and a brush of her fingers, her loosened skirt fell into a pool at her feet. Stepping gracefully out of it, she stood before him and placed her hands on her hip, her eyebrow cocked expectantly.

When she extracted herself from his body, he found himself chilled by the night air and missing the warmth of her presence. She stood regally and her skirt fell away; Sand sat back momentarily and let himself enjoy the sight of her.

She was a warm-blooded woman, with full curves, and elegant legs and a mind that he hadn't encountered in years - quick, smart, ambitious. She was also his nemesis - because of her, he had to run all through the countryside, through destroyed villages, into foul-smelling caves with goblins, past insane dryads and gnomish werewolves, only to end up watching a Trial by Combat anyway...

And now she was standing, naked, before him.

_Well, as a Luskan to another Luskan..._

He stood and approached her. He pressed his body against her, pinning her back to the table. "Amin sol lle ordi amin thys Ember..." _I think you owe me for Ember..._

She arched a brow at him, the table digging into her bare back. His eyes were nearly glowing down at her, luminous with the dim, slanting light from the high ceilinged windows and his own lust. His dark hair fell in unruly strands around his face, and from her vantage point she could glance down and see the long length of him straining against his trousers.

"Aijh mi shar Amin tal pai thys llie." _I'll see what I can do for you_. He fingers traced the edge of his trousers, fingers pulling firmly at the laces of his trews. "Because I would hate," _tug_, "...to feel like I hadn't..." _tug,_"...paid my debts." The trews fell to the floor, and her warm fingers wrapped around him as she glanced down.

_Well._"Bai shylaes o'vi mai pas mel eir si sosti."_No wonder you're so damn smug all the time._She bent forward and kissed his chest, then slid down, letting her tongue trace a trail along his abdomen. Her knees found the cold flagstones of the floor just as her hands slid around his lean, supple backside, and drew him forward, taking him into her mouth.

Sand's knees nearly buckled when she wrapped her lips around him. This was a technique that Sand had to admit humans tended to do better than elves. Elves were all about flowers and poetry and...

_Gods._

Her tongue was running up and down the entire length of him. The blood was rushing out of his head, his limbs and into his throbbing organ. He braced himself against the table and looked down, fascinated by the sight of her kneeling at his feet, her naked body small and crouched, her head bobbing back and forth in a steady rhythm. Her hands held him tight to her lips and in the silence, he could hear the sound of her mouth working on him, a quiet lapping and wet sucking.

_Gods oh gods. _

If he wasn't so sure that she'd just laugh in his face, he'd bring her flowers and read her all the Elven poetry she wanted if she would only keep doing this. _But this was Torio..._

"Your... famed tongue's lashings..." He groaned and gripped the table harder. "Live up to its reputation." Sand could feel the muscles of his shaft starting to pulse and he threw his head back, whispering, "Oh Torio, air sor shar air sajaer sai tholalia molaeli lle?" _Is this what it takes to finally silence you?_

_It had been a while_...but the sound of Sand's normally succinct and elegant voice stretched out in a low moan made Torio's skin flush with heat and her mouth pull at him harder. She had heard him arrogant, patronizing, excited, intelligent, caustic, infuriated; but she had never heard Sand _longing,_ and the mere sound of it made her want to crawl up his body once again and wrap her legs around his waist. Her hands stroked the front and insides of his thighs, feeling his leg muscles bunch and tremble with incredible tension. His skin was surprisingly soft and firm, unlike the coarsely haired bodies of human men, and she was particularly fascinated by it...she stroked, and stroked...

With a long, slow lick, she slid him out of her mouth, tilting her head back to look up at his face. "There is a custom, when forming treaties, of exchanging hostages," she murmured huskily, her hands still running up his thighs. She stared up at him, her mouth mere inches from his throbbing organ as she arched a brow and whispered, "Eil sor thys air tes tylaes sal os mol." _And this floor is much colder than your skin._ Her tongue flicked out against the tip of his head, and then she stood, dragging her body against his as she met him at eye level once more.

Sand met her eyes squarely, raw desire sitting openly on his face now. It was so nice to be able to look at her without having to crane his neck. He gently nudged his wet member between her legs, feeling the hot dampness of her body. He wrapped his arms around her, almost lovingly. "I like you better without shoes. Not quite on your pedestal, are you now, my dear girl."

He suddenly hoisted her up and leaned her back over the table, so she was lying on the wood with her legs dangling over the edges. He leaned over her body and kissed her fervently on the lips. "Amin shal sai caes lle mael ail Drow sai amin, oraesori Amin shor myr." _I want to hear you speak in Drow to me, otherwise I will stop._ With that, he slid his body down hers as she had done to him, nipping at her nipples, moving down to her soft abdomen and then finally kneeling between her legs. He pressed his mouth to her glistening folds, and let his tongue touch her swollen nub tauntingly.

Torio gasped, her fingers digging into the wooden tabletop as his tongue flicked against her. "Dos fa'la zatoast," she groaned. "Ka dos vrine'winith Usstan swariy Usstan orn elgg dos xuil ussta rahi._" _Threatening him came easy, and killing him with her bare hands was always something she'd always fantasized doing. Well...among other things. _Although technically you're doing some of those other things right now... _"Dos morfeth ussa ushdui lueth lueth ka dos xuat morfeth ssinssrigg ulu ussa ditronw nin, Usstan iglata Usstan orn lueth dos_." You make me crazy and furious and if you don't make love to me right now, I promise I really will draw and quarter you._

She gasped for breath. Where in the hells had all that come from?

Sand slid his tongue along her slit, listening to her barrage of breathy Drow. He had no idea what she was saying, only that it sounded angry, lusty, insulting, and wanting all rolled together and was coming lowly from Torio's throat. _And by Mystra - it was turning him on. _

He could smell her desire; a sweet spiciness, a musky perfume that was in sharp contrast to moldy, stone smell of the Keep. He lifted her legs over his shoulder, hooking her knees up by his ears. Torio was gripping the table so hard her knuckles were white and he was surprised she hadn't left gouge-marks yet. He could see her heaving chest, her breasts rising and falling unsteadily. Sand leaned down and closed his mouth softly around the delicate pearl between her legs and began sucking back while with his free hand he let his finger gently probe the small wet opening, all the while keeping his ears alert for her words.

Torio let out a strangled, half-Drow, half-curse garbled moan as she was pulled into Sand's mouth. "Gods...dos lueth dosst...oh gods..." She was getting the words jumbled in her head, that wasn't right...that wasn't even a complete sentence. Sharp, shooting heat was piercing through her, clouding her mind and making her body tremble against the table.

_If all of my language lessons were like this, I never would have learned anything. _

She whimpered as she felt his long, agile, capable fingers probing her opening. "Dosst...lueth...zik...oh...lenith...my gods, Sand.." Her already intensely aroused body was tightening inexorably towards climax and she could feel herself shuddering against his lips.

In all fairness, if my language lessons were like this, I'd probably still be trying to be learning them...

Sand never thought, for all the gold in Faerun, that Torio would ever say his name in _that_ way, short of a charm or domination spell. But when he heard her call out his name in _that_ way and felt the rhythmic clenching of her muscles, he knew she was close, she was losing control.

So he stopped his mouth, feeling particularly sadistic, looking up at her from between her spread legs. His fingers were still inside her, sliding slowly in her wetness, but he said in a velvety, scolding voice, "My dear Torio - that wasn't Drow. I'm afraid... Shaer Ai't eirar Amin tol ber cali asi myr..." _Well I'm afraid I might just have to stop..._

_How could he refuse an opportunity to have the great Torio Claven at his mercy?_

Torio lifted her head with a snarl, her eyes narrowed furiously and clouded with passion. She pushed herself up into a sitting position; Sand's expression was a mixture of burning desire and a rather smug satisfaction. "Llie now llie naa kekuel?" _You think you are so clever?_ Her legs hooked out around his waist, bringing his body up against hers at the edge of the table as she sat up straight and tall, her voice thick with the longing and frustration of failed-release. "I would advise you, dear Sand..." her hands slid below his navel... "to not attempt negotiations..." her hands slid to his hips, fingernails digging into his skin with purposeful savagery... "with a woman who always..._always_... finds a way out of a bargain."

With a thrust of her hips and a none to gentle pull with her hands, she guided Sand into her wetness, hard.

This time Sand's knees did buckle when Torio slid herself forcefully onto his stiff shaft. The sensation shot straight into the middle of him and he moaned, sagging at the table. If she hadn't been holding onto him with a painful viciousness with her taloned hands and her legs, he probably would have slipped out of her and onto the floor. Instead he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer.

"Llie dhaeraow..."_You traitor... _He thrust into her, feeling the wet warmth of her walls, how she greedily took him in. He ran his hands up her sides and ensnared his fingers in her brown hair, pulling her face to his. "Llie loki..." _You snake..._ Another quick thrust; Sand heard the table scrape back along the stone floor. He brought his lips desperately to meet her mouth.

Torio's clenched her legs around him tightly, the table sliding underneath her bare backside as Sand thrust into her. Her hands clutched around his buttocks, pulling him into her again and again as his mouth crushed into hers, the spitting, Elven insults rolling off his elegant, fierce tongue and shooting down her spine like liquid lightning.

Sand gritted his teeth, his eyes shut as she continued driving against him. _Oh gods _- waiting nearly a century for a woman like her was worth it. Her movements were quick, precise and he felt her hot sweaty skin sticking to his. She was so wet that she was sliding along him with no impedance, slipping nearly off his full member before slamming back down.

Torio pulled his lower lip between her teeth, sucking in a breath as his fingers delved into her hair. "Tharaesia shor kaer llie byrdaesi, llie madoros bodaes." _Flattery will get you nowhere, you sadistic viper._ Her hips riposted feverishly against his, one hand raking up the skin of his back to where his unbound hair fell across his shoulders. Her fingers wrapped around a particularly large handful of silky strands and she pulled his head back away from her mouth, catching her teeth on the underside of his throat.

Sand gave a shuddering whimper when she pulled his head back, exposing his pale throat. Her teeth were there now and he felt a rush of dangerous adrenaline. He narrowed his blue eyes at her, taunting her, "Os mar Amin tar llie melissa? di'thang?" _Or should I call you lover? slave? _He took her around the waist and pushed the length of him even deeper than before, forcing her legs even further apart. "Tarien?" _Princess?_

Torio let out a ragged gasp as his cool hands slid around her waist, his fingers pressing into her skin as he plunged mercilessly into her depths. Her body contracted impulsively, a pleased, aching, guttural noise rolling at the base of her throat.

She wrapped her arms around his neck, rolling her hips languidly, sliding his swollen member in and out of her with an almost exaggerated slowness compared to their previous frantic pace. "Tura, melissa, syr," she whispered raggedly, "Ilya naa saelaesyr varar, shor llie." _Master, lover, tool...all are treacherous pathways, with you. _ Her tongue flicked out, brushing across the surface of his lips; her chest rose and fell in long, slow, trembling breaths as she undulated over him.

Sand sighed at her slow, almost lazy movements. He pressed his upper body to her, feeling her breasts against his chest, and nuzzled where her neck met her shoulder, eyes closed contentedly. Somehow, it felt like he was going deeper and deeper, to the very core of her. He moved his hips in time with her deliberate, sensual pace.

"Mmm, Torio..." He pressed gentle kisses into her skin.

Could I ever love her?

_Don't be a daft elf, Sand - she's Torio!_

He lifted his head, resting his chin now on her shoulder. "Saelaesyr?"_Treacherous? _ Sand slid his hands from her waist to her breasts, feeling the nipples beneath his thumbs. "No more than you, tinu en lokirim."_Daughter of snakes._

These long, slow strokes were building him with a latent passion to his peak in such a calculated fashion. Luskan meticulousness and premediation. He could feel the muscles of his shaft begin to throb; there was an insistent thrumming that was in his groin. _Oh by the gods, he was so close... _Sand needed to get her horizontal; he wanted to feel her entire body beneath him...

_...or above you..._

...to see her staring at him with those crystal clear eyes when she finally climaxed. "Tura. Amin jhoji si myl os sar." _Master. I like the sound of that._ He looked at her with an arched eyebrow, an amused smile at his lips. "Lle lava, di'thang?" _Do you yield, slave?_

Torio's nostrils flared imperceptibly, her eyes narrowing. She nuzzled deceptively close to him, one hand sliding up into his hair, pressing her palm against the base of his skull almost gently, cradling his head against her mouth as she kissed him...

She was no warrior, with steely strength or agile quickness...she was grace and form, and, above all, style...she merely clutched her legs tightly around him and let her weight roll them both back onto the table. Swinging herself around, she straddled him, hands pressed against his chest; his long, lean torso was stretched out below her, smooth muscle lines pressing against her fingers. His hair fell back form his high forehead, spilling across the wood of table, and as she settled herself firmly on him once again, she said, her voice dangerously low, "Do I yield?" Bending forward, she brushed her lips across his pectoral, exhaling forcefully. "I think not." She closed her lips around his nipple and nipped him with her teeth, her hips sliding up along his length before pressing down again.

Sand was surprised at the quickness and ease with which she pulled him onto the table and she used that surprise to her advantage. Before he knew what was happening she was straddling him, her form defiant above him.

_By Mystra, she was beautiful when she was so insolently power-hungry..._

And Sand - oh he was strangely pleased by this sudden reversal - pinned beneath her, at _her_ mercy. But he couldn't let her know that - she'd never let him live it down, that he gave up control to her so readily. He lay there passively for a moment, underneath her weight, letting his eyes drink in the sight of her arched back and upturned breasts. The candles of the Library were dying - _gods, how long had they been in here?_

Her mouth was on his chest now, on his nipple - he moaned unabashedly - they were so sensitive and he gasped and arched into her when he felt her slide onto him once again. He twisted his body and tried to lunge up, making an attempt at rolling her beneath him.

Torio's surprised yelp was muffled against his skin as he bucked underneath her, rolling them both over. The table slid against her back, shifting slightly with their antics, and for a moment her eyes widened in surprise as she looked up at him. _Well...that certainly didn't go as planned. _He was looking down at her, black hair sifting over his shoulder like rippling shadow, and she felt her throat constricting slightly in a completely unfamiliar way; fading candlelight flickered against the elegant features of his face, playing the lines of his prominent cheekbones and delving into slanted shadows around his eyes. They gazed down at her, heated and triumphant that his tactic had worked, luminous and sharply blue.

_When was the last time somebody looked at you like that?_

_Has anyone, ever? _She couldn't quite remember...it was not familiar territory, thinking like this. _Blame it on the candlelight. _

His weight pressing insistently between her thighs caused her to practically purr with pleasure; she felt the tip of his member nudge against her slick folds once more, and she lifted her hips up slightly, taking him inside of her a few inches...before her hand slid down and wrapped around his shaft, holding him there.

A slow, calculating smile curled her mouth, her eyes glinting almost mischievously. "Vaelori sar thastyr aelael vyria thys ti," she whispered, "os Aijh myr."

_Recite that famous Elven poetry for me...or I'll stop._

Torio was holding him at bay - and Sand didn't know whether to be mad or impressed she was turning this game back on him. He didn't know how he felt anymore about anything - the whole evening a turbulent journey through every single one of his emotions. He wriggled his hips, feeling the swollen tip inside her and trying to push himself further in. He tried nudging her legs further apart, then slipped his left hand down between her legs, finding the heated nub at the centre of her.

She wasn't giving in, her face below him one of firm resolve. Her pupils were dilated so wide with desire that as Sand stared into them, it was like he was looking into two midnight pools. He could feel her steady breath puffing on his cheek. He kissed her gently, his mind working out her motives for the request.

Could he have misjudged her earlier, when he made his snide comment about candlelights and poetry?

_Try it Sand. She's the one that asked for it. You could always say she held you hostage with her feminine wiles later._

Sand exhaled and lay his head between her breasts, his hands gently massaging between her legs. "The odds are uneven here Torio, dear girl, and clearly in your favor - you can understand what I'm saying..."

Clearing his throat, a little embarrassed and praying that he remembered all the words and hoping she'd understand the meaning of the poem, he whispered softly the first verse:

"A'maelamin  
Iire nauva I'ehtele' tula  
I'Anoron a'urnu amin anta  
Calen pant'lassea  
Ar'tyav lle lisse' aestali..."

_  
__My beloved  
When will the Spring come  
The dawn to warm my face  
Green leaves to open  
And feel your sweet embrace_

Torio had little experience with poetry; most of her time speaking Elvish was spent smoothing out the hackles that Garius usually raised wherever he went, including Evereska. But she knew enough of the subtleties of the Elvish language that the words made her eyes go wide.

Who knew those pointy eared elitists on their far off island were so downright earthy?

She twitched underneath his probing fingers, her eyes squeezing shut as they slid against her sensitive nub; by gods, she wasn't going to last long enough for him to even finish speaking if he kept on like this. She eased her grip on him somewhat, letting him slide deeper into her warm wetness...ha! Green leaves to open, indeed. She pushed her hips up to fuse the distance between them, and slid her hand around to his buttocks, holding him there.

She opened her eyes, staring up into his face. "And?" Her lips were parted, anticipation clear in her grey eyes. "What else?"

When Torio finally released her hand and allowed him the pleasure of sliding into her once again, Sand let out a breath. He removed his hand so that he could position himself more comfortably on top of her. Her eyes were open, watching him eagerly.

_Oh gods, she liked the poetry..._

Why would that arouse him so much?

"A'maelamin..." He watched her face, to see if she knew how intimate it was for an elf to call another that. It was not something an elf did lightly and he knew if the other elves could hear him, they'd be shocked and appalled. He wondered briefly why he hadn't chosen another poem - not that he knew many.

"Pyr i'duin rim'quanta..." He lifted his hips.

"Losa shor quell'eirdae." And allowed himself the pleasure of plunging into her. He muffled a moan.

"Shor i'kelvar kuile." _Oh gods oh gods oh gods _he couldn't break the rhythm of the poem; damn Elven poetry would lose all its meaning... He gave her another quick thrust, loving the way his hips smacked against her soft inner though, feeling her body yielding under his.

"Ar' lle mela a'mae."

_My beloved  
Does the river run full  
Snow will fade away  
Will the beasts awake  
And your love to stay_

Torio let her head fall back against the table, a deep, throaty sigh escaping her throat as his slid in and out of her, filling her completely and then drawing out once again; she bent her legs slightly, spreading them farther apart, her knees brushing against his hips as she allowed him to rise and fall inside of her.

_My Beloved_

A dangerous trill of excitement ran down her spine at those words. He had to know what he was saying, surely?

_It's just poetry._

Her body ached all over; the multitude of pent up climaxes that had threatened her during their little interlude were bearing down on her, and she was suddenly angry at herself; what was she doing, lying on her back like some flighty milkmaid, begging for poetry? She lifted her head, covering his mouth with a hungry, insistent kiss, opening her mouth to tell him to stop.

Instead, her voice came out low, and wanting, and murmuring, "More."

Sand was starting to lose his head; there was only the building tension in his loins and Torio lying beneath him now. All thoughts of books, and libraries were gone completely. He couldn't even smell the dust anymore; just their intermingling lust-drunken scents, and it was fueling some primal part of him. He drove himself into her, again and again, panting with exertion as his stiff cock pushed against her mercilessly. The table was shaking violently under him and somewhere, far away in his consciousness, he thought he heard the wine bottle topple off and shatter on the floor.

_More. She wanted more._

"A'maelamin! Oh...A'maelamin..." Sand stopped caring about the poem's iambic or whatever parameters. He returned her kisses, starving for her lips. "A'maelamin!"

"Tula, vasa ar' yulna...En mela'amin oiolaire almare..._Oh gods Torio you insatiable Luskan demon.._.Lle kwayuln rim'vanwa..." He gritted his teeth; by Mystra he was close from the way his member was pulsating inside of her. He was utterly engorged and felt the entire girth of him against her tight slicked walls. But _dammit_- he'd finish the poem for her. "I'nekte en' lle aestali..._Gods, Torio, get on top of me_!" He rolled her over, knocking over the wine glass and the sheaf of papers.

Only one more verse to go.

_My beloved  
Come, eat and drink  
Of my love's ever Summer bliss  
Your cup runs overfull  
The honey of your kiss_

_Beloved...beloved...beloved..._

Each time he uttered it sent wracking spasms through her body that were almost painful, and yet the pleased flush that spread through her skin made her shudder; she was so close, _too _close, she could feel it all building up inside of her...his mouth moved hungrily over hers, the elegant, double-edged Elven words mixing with his sharp cries, and then he gripped her and turned them around. His half-desperate, half-commanding words shot through her, and as she thrust down over his shaft once again, it was too much.

She threw back her head, "Oh gods! Uum n' llie very neshan, quin amin ed ilya tanya naa selingue..." Don't you stop, or I swear by everything that is holy... But the threat fell unfinished on her lips as her body climaxed, tearing a long, wordless cry from her throat. Back arched and hands pressed spread-fingered against his abdomen, she rode out the throes of release with sharp, driving thrusts of her hips, fingers clutching at him.

When Torio reached her passion's peak, Sand could feel the muscles of her walls clench, pulling him deeper in. She was squeezing him tighter than he ever imagined possible. His hands grabbed her hips, feeling the violence of her onslaught, pinning him helplessly beneath to the table.

Sand tried finishing the poem for her, his voice coming out in choking gasps, the words punctuated by her driving frenzy, "Mela en'coiamin...Amin khiluva lle..." _Love of my life...I will follow you..._ but then she climaxed, her whole body shaking, her gorgeous, impetuous, impertinent, luscious mouth letting out a cry that sent a bolt of yearning into his being.

_Oh to hells with the poem..._

Her hands were on his stomach, scrabbling at his flesh, likely leaving red marks. _And gods oh gods _she was impaling herself on him with such an intensity that some muted part of his mind couldn't help but wonder that the table hadn't collapsed under them yet.

Sand could no longer hold back - a century without a woman's intimate touch built to this point - and he felt his entire member and groin contract and tightened. "Torio!" The tension crested and Sand's whole body spasmed as he climaxed, writhing beneath her convulsing form. He dug his fingers into her hips above him as he felt the erratic pulsing in his throbbing member spilling his fluid into her; every spurt brought with it another crash of euphoria. He heaved into her as she thrashed against him - she was draining him, draining him of all conscious thought and words and he was left quivering and gasping in her wake.

Torio heard her name being shouted somewhere in the far off reaches of her mind, but all she could feel was the hot, spreading warmth between her legs and Sand's thrusting, pulsating hips as he drove inside of her. It was riding euphoria made tangible, and it carried her away, leaving her near senseless; all coherent thought was banished; the tug of war in her mind effectively silenced.

When Torio Claven finally opened her eyes again, even the near-blackened ceiling looked completely different than it had hours before.

She tilted her head down to look at Sand, stretched beneath her; angry red welts marred him low on his stomach where her fingers had dug in, and for some reason the sight of it filled her with a strange satisfaction. She inhaled deeply, trying to ease her ragged breathing; his skin felt slick and smooth as she ran her hands lightly over the marks, tracing them gently with her fingers. She bent over his body, stretching out against him, the warmth of her release still filling her in a dull, thrumming ache.

"Sand," she murmured scoldingly, her nose brushing against his lightly, "you knocked over my glass." And she kissed him.

"Mmm." Sand returned her kiss, pulling her close to him, satisfaction making his body hum contentedly. "You're right, dear girl, so it would seem I have." He draped an arm over her chest, resting it lightly across her breasts. "I will have to ask Sal to order more Elderwine; we'll see if he can't get some good Evereska too."

He sat up suddenly, the sweat cooling on his skin. He reached over to where his robe lay haphazardly on the chair and pulled it over their legs like a blanket. His eyes met hers briefly and then drifted across the Library, to the broken glass on the ground, tossed books and scattered papers, to the table where now they lay.

He laughed. "There is something absurd about this. Amin shor baelaes vaer eir sor sardi si masti shae eindral." _I will never read at this table the same way again._

His laugh was sharp and clear and struck her deeper than an arrow. She curled against him, shivering at her cooling skin. "Ah, but reading at this table will help put Lucidia's infamous works of literature in perspective for you, wizard."

He lay back down and nuzzled her, the afterglow warming his mind. "Torio Claven. Luskan ambassador and fancier of Elven love poetry. Who would have known."

_Gods, his skin was smooth._ She _should_ be on her feet already, pulling on clothes...she turned to him, sliding an arm around his waist as her face pressed against his chest. After a moment, she snorted derisively at him. "It would help if said poetry was _finished_." _Damn_... She should have never made him recite it. An orater of nations, and all it took was an exquisite moon elf to give her a taste for fluffy love poetry. _Mmm...a very comfortable, warm, well-endowed, exquisite moon-elf..._

Sand stared at the top of her head, unconsciously holding her tighter to him. He kissed her hair. Not finishing the poem had been nagging at him as well; it was consider a sacrilege to not complete a reading of any Elven poem and Sand, despite having lived among humans for decades, still remembered his Elven schooling.

But could he finish the poem? The last verse was the most candid one of all. He wouldn't be able to recite it without feeling something, whether he wanted to or not.

_You're a fool, Sand. She's still Torio! Your nemesis!_

But apparently she's also my lover now. And she's quite snug in my arms.

_You're incorrigible._

He kept staring at the top of her head and said lowly,

"Mela en'coiamin  
Amin khiluva lle  
Imya i'Yavie en lye rea  
Manke Amin sint'n'uma gorga  
En' hrive meetima kaji"

_Love of my Life  
I will follow you  
Through the Autumn of our days  
Where I know no fear  
Of Winter's final gaze_

He exhaled slowly and waited for her response.

Torio released her breath in a low sigh, realizing she'd been holding it. She hadn't quite expected him to say the lines, but when he did it was as if a weight she had twisted between her shoulders had released. The words rolled over her like warm honey, and she shivered slightly, her skin prickling.

_I could get used to this._

_Well...not lying naked on a rough table with only a robe to cover me. But the elf...I suppose I could..._

She tilted her head back to look up at him, a wry remark on her lips. The sight of his face stopped her. She stared at him silently, her insides writhing.

_Say something._

Her hand reached up, brushing the backs of her fingers across his lips. "Molaes syler Bodaes," she whispered, her voice unsteady. _ Silver tongued Viper..._

Sand gave her a small smile and kissed her fingers. "Diola lle. Ei tystostael i'Tari en' Lokirim." _ Thank you. A compliment from the Queen of Snakes._

All right, she hadn't taken the verse too adversely at all. Sand's fingers started absentmindedly tracing her stomach. Elven scripts, glyphs, symbols. He was getting sleepy... If he didn't get some sleep soon, he'd be useless tomorrow and good luck trying to explain to the others why without blushing with a stupid grin on his face.

_I've slept with the woman who tried to get us all killed! _

And it was fantastic!

_No, no that wouldn't do at all...You'll have to come up with something better than that, Counselor._

"My dear girl, perhaps - ah, perhaps it's best we separate for now. Before Aldanon comes tottering back to the Library." He was reluctant. "I suspect this is something he'd likely notice."

Her arm instinctively tightened around him when he mentioned leaving. Hadn't she just been thinking that the moment before? She covered her lapse by brushing her mouth against his collarbone. "Mmmm...I think even Aldanon is going to notice the glass on the floor, bodaes." _Viper._ She liked the sound of that word; it rolled off the tongue full-bodied with a distinctive hiss at the end. His fingers trailing across her stomach made her skin tingle, and she stretched against him languidly, resigning herself to a very cold rest of the night in her narrow bed.

Why wasn't he standing up, taking his arm from her body yet? "Or...if your room is too far, mine is around the corner...I have an invisibility spell left..."

Sand cringed at how much like a forlorn lovesick elf he must sound like. Not that he loved her, or anything... Wonderful - you go from nothing for a hundred years to inviting an enemy back to your bedchambers in a night.

She attempted to keep the pleased smile off of her mouth, her voice wry. "I doubt both of us could _fit_ in my room. I suppose Nevalle did his best... he gave me the cleanest broom closet he could find." But he _had_ suggested it...and it was rather drafty in the Keep, anyway. She was seventy percent positive that this wasn't just some elaborate ploy to kill her in her sleep. The other thirty percent was giving her the silent treatment, at the moment.

"I suppose I wouldn't be adverse to your room..." Her insides were doing an unusual, twisting dance, and it was too difficult to keep the wicked grin from her lips, her eyebrow cocked slyly. "That is, if you still have the energy for an invisibility spell."

Sand sat up faster than he intended to when Torio agreed. He jumped off the table, being careful to avoid the broken glass, the papers, the books and oh - it seemed they had also knocked over the inkbottle. He scooped up her trade report and his books, tossing it besides her on the table. He would come back later and clean it up. Or pay somebody to.

"One little _Invisibility Sphere_ spell is nothing for somebody of my _considerable_ talents." He reached into one of the pouches and pulled out a gob of gum arabic and wincing, he plucked out an eyelash. He kissed her quickly. "We'll need to stay close together for this to work."

Holding both components in his palm, he quietly muttered the incantation and with a slightly overly dramatic flourish of his fingers, he poked Torio in the stomach teasingly -

_POP!_

They were now both invisible.

Torio let out an indignant, rather embarrassing _squeak!_ as, first, Sand's finger jabbed her stomach, and then a strange, stretched, light feeling snapped through her skin like a rubber band. She blinked, looking down at where she should be standing...if she moved a certain way, she could see the dim light refracting in a way that suggested an arm or a leg, but otherwise there was nothing but flagstones, and a pooling mass of liquid in the midst of the broken glass that looked suspiciously like ink...

She slid off the table, standing on the cold flagstones, and stepped gingerly over the chaos scattered across the floor; the stretching_pop!_shook through her body again as she moved away from Sand, becoming visible again momentarily. The broken glass, the abandoned reports, even the awkward angle the table was now standing at could all be explained ...(somehow)..., but a Proskurian silk blouse and a rather wrinkled looking skirt discarded carelessly on the Library floor would definitely raise a few eyebrows, and she scooped them up carefully. Her hands found her shoes, and then she turned back to the table, suddenly at a loss. This was not her element, as much as she hated to admit it...and Torio didn't like not being in her element. She had no idea if he'd moved or where he might be.

"As amusing as you might find it, Sand," she said dryly to the thin air, "I'd rather not grope around blindly trying to find you."

Sand voice drifted lightly over the air. "Oh please, do grope Torio, dear girl. We seem to have done a lot of that tonight." But instead of taunting her further, he moved closer to her and watched her strangely shimmer from view. He held out his invisible hands until they came into contact with her (Ah, a breast. A very nice breast at that.). He reached over with his other arm and grabbed his robes.

Wrapping his arms protectively around her small frame, he whispered, "We have 15 minutes to get to my room. We have to stay away from anybody we run into otherwise they'll become invisible too. I'm going to remove the _Alarm_ and _Lock_ spell now..." He quietly dispelled the two spells.

"Ready?"

Torio huddled close to him, feeling utterly ridiculous and strangely giddy as they slipped out of the Library and into the well lit hallways. _You're invisible, naked, and running through a well guarded keep with your clothes in your hands. And one of your greatest enemies is doing it with you._

Sand could feel her warm body against his as they crept towards his room. He walked very slowly, his bare feet padding silently on the stone. His heart was racing but instead of feeling anxious and clammy, he found himself stirring slightly with excitement. He was naked in the hallway with Torio and nobody could see them!

He did have ... 10 minutes left of the spell...

_No, don't you dare even consider it!!!_

Maybe another night then...

Now was the hard part: slipping past the guard that stood at the junction of the halls. Nice enough fellow; none too bright. He pushed Torio into the wall; it would be all right if they saw him, but to see him _and_ her?

No need for this tryst to become part of the Keep's gossip fodder. Especially for Nevalle - Sand didn't need to give the Knight another reason to keep him under his watch and control. They were already suspicious enough about his Luskan past...

She followed where his nudges led her, scurrying down the hallway towards a T-intersection that led left and right. There was a guard standing there, looking bored and sleepy, and she sucked in her breath a bit as they slowed their pace; Sand practically scraped her against the wall as they began slipping by him...

"Corporal!"

The guard snapped to attention as one of the duty sergeants came marching down the hallway, directly towards the spot that she and Sand were standing in. A thousand different curses ran through her head all at once as she heard the Sergeant's voice...she froze, ready to bolt, bare-skinned naked down the hallway if necessary...

Sand's head jerked up at the duty sergeant's voice. _Oh hells! _ He looked left and right, then left and right again. He could feel Torio freeze, her breath catching. Sand then spotted a large painting behind the sergeant's head. Quickly, he cast_ Mage Hand _and willed the magic to lift the painting off the hook...

Sand uttered something and the minute hairs along Torio's body stood up at the wash of raw magic that seemed to build around him. The painting at the far end of the hall clattered quite spectacularly to the ground, and both men turned, craning their necks to see what had happened.

She yanked on Sand's arm, and they hurried down the hallway, turning round the safety of the next corner. Sand's door was somewhere close by, she vaguely remembered...

Sand nearly gave a startled hiss when he felt her hand yanking him down the halls but he followed. He had to. If he let her run ahead, then she's leave the Sphere and all would be able to see her naked bottom darting away from them.

_Not a bad idea, that._

Torio was furious and downright terrified and immensely relieved, and all of those curses rolling through her brain were just waiting on her tongue...but instead, to her never-ending surprise, she pressed her face against Sand's invisible chest and snickered uncontrollably.

They rounded the corner and suddenly Sand felt Torio leaning against his bare chest, laughing. A genuine laugh with none of the malevolent edge and he found himself enjoying the sound. His mouth twisted up in a smile and he found himself returning her laughter.

"Here." He guided her two doors down to his non-descript door. Waving aside the glyph he had inscribed earlier to protect his room from Neeshka, he guided Torio in, locking the door.

"Welcome to my chambers."


	3. Chapter 3

**_Part III: Caduceus_**

Torio blinked rapidly at the instant change from light to dark; the room was dimly lit, but from what her adjusting eyes could make out, it was rather spacious; a small fireplace set up against the wall, and the place was...fastidiously clean. Indescribably clean. Was there a "summon chamber maid" spell she'd never heard of, before?

"Taerolelyr," she said. "Shai shyr shaeloli llie tadi mes ei taer al si Jhordasia?" _Meticulous...who would guess you'd make such a mess in the library?_

Sand raised an eyebrow at her as he watched her progress from the door to the bed. "Shi shyr tadi sar taer, paes kos."_We both made that mess, dear girl._

Well. Torio couldn't really argue with that point. _And what a wonderful mess it was..._

She let her clothing drop to the floor. It was much warmer in here, thanks to the fire...she suspected with the Keep being chilly as it was, a moon elf would find it downright freezing, some nights. The bed looked deliciously comfortable; she walked towards it, and sat on the edge, some type of soft, thick fabric brushing across her bare skin.

_Well. You're naked, in Sand's room. On his bed. He's naked as well._ She lay back against the blankets, propped up on her elbows, letting her eyes roam across his body. _Yes, quite naked. _

_I'm going to have to write this down tomorrow, just to reassure myself this isn't some twisted, pleasant dream._

Her fingers tapped against the fabric underneath her, and she lifted her chin, gazing at him expectantly.

Sand lay down besides her on the bed, his head propped up by his arm. "Don't think you'll be allowed to shirk your responsibility in that. You may have been allowed to get away with the Ember fiasco with little more than a tap on the wrist... but I intended to be much firmer with you for distracting me from my readings in the Library."

Truth to tell, Torio almost _forgotten _the thing that was supposed to act as a constant reminder on her wrist; and the fact that Sand managed to sound disgustingly smug..._tap on the wrist, indeed_... didn't help matters, either. She narrowed her eyes at him, her voice dangerously even.

"I do seem to recall having been in that Library long before you,_bodaes_." Her fingers ran up the inside of his thigh lightly. "And...please,_do_correct me if I'm wrong...I didn't seem to see you open a book the entire time you were there." She arched a brow at him, her finger tracing the soft part where his thigh met his body, then moving up to run a circle around his hip. "Unless the reading you describe was the label on the wine bottle, mayhaps?"

She was touching him again, and talking to him with that deliciously challenging tone of voice she had. So they were back to this, were they? Sand felt his sleeping member stir as her fingertips traced around it. Nothing for decades and then, perhaps, twice in one night? He lifted his hand and began tracing her face. "_Helkaer_, I didn't need to open a book to get information tonight." His hands found the top of her breasts and began idly stroking the skin. "And it seems as though I might be able to get more information tonight..." He rolled suddenly on top of Torio. "And I'm not particularly interested in Luskan trade routes either."

She laughed throatily, her skin suddenly coming alive as the weight of his body pressed down on her. "Luskan trade routes can be dangerous things; it would be wise of you to study them carefully," she said, arching her back languidly against him. "Difficult slopes, sharp turns..." she flicked a tongue out against his mouth, pushing her hips upwards to rub against him. "Deep, dangerous caves..."

_By the gods, this was getting out of hand. _

_And?_

_...touche._

"You're not going to let me sleep tonight, are you, dear girl?" Sand could just see it now - needing to cast _Mage Armor _and having it fizzle embarrassingly. If anybody came knocking on his door before noon, he would fry them with a well aimed _Fireball._

Sand felt Torio against him and the familiar heat was returning to his groin. "Mmm," he murmured from the depth of his throat, his eyes half closed. "I think I need to know more about these caves..." He nudged her legs apart, his rapidly hardening member resting at her entrance. "Dangerous, you say? Why?"

Her eyes gleamed up at him as she shifted her legs slightly apart. "Shia maer shael llie tal palia shor palaes?" _Why sleep, when you can dally with danger? _"Besides, the trouble with Luskan landscapes," she purred, "Is that you never know..." she braced her feet against the bed,"...when they're going to turn on you..."

And she pushed and twisted with her hips, attempting to roll him over.

Sand rolled over easily, aroused and pleased to be beneath her again. "Mmm, the trouble with _all_ things Luskan is that you never know when they're going to turn on you..." His hands caressed her thighs, circling their way up to the narrowing where her legs met. "How would one survive in such a treacherous land?"

Torio let out a long sigh as his hands stroked her skin. "I suppose," she whispered, bending down and curling her tongue against his ear, "it would depend..." she closed her lips around the edge of his lobeless shell, nibbling as she positioned her hips, "on whether or not you've brought the correct equipment." She eased herself down onto him slowly, her eyes closing as she felt him filling her out again so completely.

Her voice was husky and low as she stared down at him. "After that...it would only be a matter of _navigating_." She punctuated every other word with slow, deliberate thrusts, gratifying shivers running up her spine. _Very smug, indeed, you old viper. _

Sand was content to lie there beneath her, his pace slowed compared to their frenzy in the Library. He fingers found her sensitive fleshy nub and began rubbing it in time with her bodily strokes. He loved the way her mouth moved on his ears, how her words warmed the skin. He shivered involuntarily; he was hard again - he could feel the way her slow, well-considered thrusts were sliding him all the way in before lifting nearly the entire way off his shaft.

He smiled, the arrogance underplaying on his lips, "You seem satisfied with the equipment I've brought. Tell me dear girl, any advice on navigation?"

Torio chuckled low in her throat, the sound interspersed with a ragged moan as his fingers pressed between her legs and stroked. Apparently Sand knew more than he let on..._the advantages of having a centuries-old lover, I suppose_. There was no fumbling awkwardness, no odd angles or jerked movements; he was lithe and slid inside of her with a smooth grace that made her insides coil tighter than heated iron, and his long, dextrous fingers were...

_...oh gods..._

"At the risk of inflating your already insurmountable arrogance,"she said slowly, wincing inwardly at how achingly strained her voice was, "I think that you'll get by just fine on your own navigational skills."

Sand felt himself flush hotly when she complimented him. How many lovers had she had and he did really measure up to them?

He sat up and adjusted their bodies so that they were both now sitting, intertwined. His arms snaked under hers and he held her upper back, his fingertips toying with the bottom of her hair. Since coming to the Keep she had starting growing her hair out; it gave her a softer look that he liked.

He nuzzled her, "Well now that we're both satisfied I can navigate and survive the terrain, there is still the matter of what I am to trade with said Luskan. What can I offer that she would possibly want?" He gently but firmly pushed her down so that he penetrated her fully, cocking an eyebrow at her, his blue eyes dancing.

Torio arched against him, her eyes falling shut in pure ecstasy as he delved inside of her. She wriggled her hips a bit as she settled, rolling his question over in her mind. What _did_ she want? Cataclysmically fantastic love-making? Ruined clothing? A comfortable bed and a room with a fireplace?

_This?_ She rolled her hips over him slowly, her fingers sinking into his hair. "Sand," she murmured into his ear, "are you willing to make a trade agreement with Luskan?" There was something immediate that she was completely positive she wanted.

She kissed him, slowly, almost tenderly...when she pulled back, she held her arm up, the silver bracelet gleaming in the firelight against her skin, a tangible tang of magic permeating it.

"Remove the spell," she said, her voice even. "I know that you can...you helped weave it. Just remove the spell, and no one will ever know there's anything different about it." Well, they wouldn't, until they tried activating it to cause her indescribable agony, or realized she was able to walk freely, instead of being confined to the Keep's walls. She watched him carefully, waiting for his response.

Sand pulled his face back slightly, so that he was now looking into her clear eyes. He tightened his grip on her, holding her to him, considering her request. Her hand was stroking his hair tenderly, almost lovingly. He narrowed his eyes shrewdly.

_Was this why she was currently in his room, naked?_

No - it didn't make sense. He had been the one who had brought up the trade reports.

_Still..._

If they were caught, they'd both be hanged and Sand really didn't want to spend his last breath dangling from the end of the rope to be buried in the Tomb of the Betrayers. He always assumed he'd die of fright from a Shadow Reaver or the King of Shadows - and if he survived that, then ... well he hadn't considered it that far yet.

He stroked her face gently. "Amin shyr shi vorol tia jhori shia pyl sor." _I would be risking my life by doing this._ He picked up her wrist again, examining the silver band. "How would I know you won't just run? Leave the Keep and leave me to my fate, hmm, dear girl?" He stroked the inside of her wrist, toying with the bracelet.

"I can't remove all the magic from this anyway. Each wizard protected his own enchantments with his own personal glyph. But..." He looked back into her eyes. "I can remove mine. And I can dampen the others while I'm near you. So at least you would be able to leave the Keep for a bit, walk the surrounding lands. Invisible, of course." He took her face in both his hands and looked deep into her eyes. "I had nothing to do with the Torture enchantment."

There was a reason, she realized as she listened to him, that Nasher had chosen him to oppose her when she had accused the twins of Ember's massacre under Garius' watchful eye. _He could make his voice quite compelling when he wanted to._

The fact that he was stroking her face while their bodies were fused together was merely a _minor_detail.

Sand dropped his hands, resting them lightly on her hip. "So you have my offer, my dear girl. Shar air lle?" _What is yours?_

His words made Torio's insides writhe...she had half expected him to turn her down flat, or deflect her request with a derogatory remark about Luskan negotiation tactics. She'd probably find a way out of her servitude anyway, some day. Eventually. And it wasn't as if she hadn't lived in difficult conditions before, but the loss of all the freedom and respect that had taken _years_for her to earn in Luskan chafed her raw. Derision, mistrust, deceit, trickery; all were things she had learned to deal with and had come to expect.

Not kindness.

An unfamiliar pang washed over her as she stared in his eyes, blue and clear and strangely compassionate. "Shar tal Amin oraes?" she said quietly. "Ei tysi thorol cerol, Sand, shyr shi shar air llie shar o shal?" _What can I offer? A more fitting question, Sand, would be what is it that you want in return?_

Torio suddenly seemed serious, more serious than when she had made her request. His fingers touched her skin lightly.

"Shar Amin shal ail vaeres..." _What I want in return... _He contemplated her open ended offer, mulling over her words the way he did a fine wine. So much he could ask for and so much he knew she would be able to obtain for him from her innumerable contacts - arcane secrets and objects, books, knowledge, even likely a meeting with some of the greatest mages in all of Faerun...

His blue eyes darted back to her quiet, calm face. She seemed surprised...and in a way, strangely sad.

So much he could ask for and yet...

And yet in this moment, as he looked at her, he realized there was only one thing he really wanted. He kissed her and said frankly, "For too long, I have led a...somewhat lonely merchant's existence. In the Docks, no less. With really only that drunken fool Duncan to trade words with."

Sand smiled dryly. "I would enjoy your company - just your words in all its glorious languages, your mind..." He kissed her forehead. "...And presence would suffice, my dear Torio. You wouldn't even have to warm my bed at night - that is something I would never make part of any deal. Inherent in this deal is that you also don't try to kill or betray me or any of my companions or our cause against Garius - eeehhh, without just cause anyway. I know Grobnar can be irritating."

He brushed a stray lock of hair away from her eyes. "We would have to keep it a secret, I trust you understand, dear girl. In return, I remove my enchantment, suppress the others when I am around and able to, and I will protect you as best I can from the Torture enchantment. Pai shi cali ei paer?" _Do we have a deal?_

Her fingers traced over his chest as he spoke. She didn't think Sand was prone to tenderness, but the gentle touches and his lips on her forehead were leaving small trails of warmth that look their time in fading along her skin, and made the knot in her chest twist tighter. She mulled over his offer.

_You've gotten worse._

_In fact, I doubt you've gotten any better, either._

"I suppose we have a deal," she said, brushing a finger over his lips. Her throat felt unusually constricted. "I'm sure you can rest easy knowing I won't call attention to our...agreement. It would go hard for me, as well as for you."

Sand relaxed in relief when he realized that she would agree and would keep their arrangement confidential.

Then her arms slid around his neck, mouth hovering over his. "Eil ais ai shal sai masi os shaer?" ?_And if I want to share your bed?_

He kept his mouth a fraction of an inch away from hers. "I very well can't deny the ambassador that simple request now, can I, my dear girl?" He murmured. "I should negotiate with Luskans more often. It's proving to be profitable." He tipped her back on the bed, landing lightly on top of her.

She had to laugh at that, her voice wry and sharp as it always had been, a touch of its earlier heaviness still clinging to it. "Negotiating treaties has always been profitable, _bodaes_." She stretched her body underneath him, lifting her legs and wrapping them around his waist; he shifted inside of her and she let out a satisfied sigh, catching his mouth with hers. "The trick is holding on to said profits long enough to enjoy them."

She still felt raw and over-balanced, even as her tongue probed his mouth open and ran against his with sensual deliberation. Candlelight, wine, poetry, and negotiating a truce, all in one night. What was a woman supposed to do against that? "Sand," she said, her voice purring, "I hope, for your sake, that the rumors I've heard about elves needing very little sleep are actually true."

"Mmm. You're a Luskan devil. Elves may need little sleep but I still need to be able to cast spells tomorrow. Or is this part of some devious Luskan ploy to make sure the party's mage is unprepared for the next day? What are you planning, you succubus?"

He nipped her bottom lip in mock anger and without further fanfare, began slowly thrusting, feeling the blood alight in his veins and his member harden. She was still wet and he slid easily, the friction against the head of his shaft causing his mind to feel inebriated. With each push, he felt himself slipping further in and that was driving his pace. "Oh sweet Mystra... Torio..." With her legs wrapped around his waist, she was tighter, narrower and there was no way he could move without moving with her, or against her. He braced himself on the bed, his fingers in her short chestnut hair, his cheek pressed to hers. "Is this how Luskans seal their deals?"

"_Aaaah, gods_..." she gasped, nuzzling his ear. "If I wanted to take you out of commission..." here she shifted her hips a bit_...that was close, almost there_..."I'd merely use poison, or a dagger...framing you in some elaborate plot wouldn't work, as we've already seen...oh, _yes_..."

His next thrust slid exactly against the right spot, sending a riot of intense, heated pressure through her body, and she arched against him in an unbearable wave of pleasure. Grasping at him, she pushed her hips eagerly against him. "Eindral," she said almost commandingly..._Again_.

She was quivering underneath him in a way he had never seen. Sand whispered hoarsely, "Amin naa lle nai." _I am yours to command_. So he propelled his stiffness forward again, the same way as before and watched, with a hint of a self-satisfied smirk as she gave a sultry moan.

"Eindral?"_Again? _He began driving forward into her, impaling her deeper and deeper, immobilizing her to the bed with the force of his penetrations. She was holding on to him vehemently and he loved feeling their closeness, how their bodies smacked together and how the sweat caused their skin to stick briefly before he pulled away from her. It was so raw, this unabashed, arduous passion.

Sand closed his eyes, pressing his chest to hers, his breath coming hot and fast. "Oh gods oh gods oh gods..." until the words ran together into one long whimpering groan. He hoped to the gods that she was close because he was too far gone to be nothing but selfish.

A long, low moan tore from her lips as he quickened his pace, the steady rhythm of his thrusts thrumming through her body. "Iar...iar..." _ Yes...yes... _The bed was shaking beneath them, her own body rocking back and forth as he thrust fiercely into her over and over, every subsequent flash of pleasure running together into one long, building wave, until her entire body felt strained and near bursting.

His voice whimpered somewhere near her ear, and her legs tightened around him, her hips nearly lifting off the bed as he rode her, insistent and commanding and powerful; his eyes were half-shut, his face a mask of concentration and ecstasy mingled together.

_Oh, sweet, merciful..._he was going too fast, there wasn't any time to hold it back; pinned beneath his writhing body, she could only be swept along, straining against him as the molten heat burst through her body, spreading to every far corner. Her head slammed back into the mattress beneath them as her voice rang out loud and clear, in something that sounded suspiciously familiar. "_A'maelamin!"_

Somewhere in the euphorically unclaimed parts of her mind, something whispered..._oh gods, I didn't just say..._

_Damned Elven love poetry..._

Sand lost the final semblance of control when she called out_A'maelamin_. He tried to respond in kind but his trembling voice only allowed him to moan longingly. When Torio orgasmed, the muscles of her womanly walls contracted and clamped around his engorged manhood. He pounded into her one last time, hard, with an unrepentant fervor, feeling the satisfying way his scrotum slapped against her inner thighs. His whole body tensed, and he gasped; there was a nearly painful stricture in his groin and then quite suddenly, his whole body convulsed with the anticipated release. Sand cried out, neither in Common nor in Elven, as he felt the pulsating contractions send his seed into Torio's core. It seemed as though every muscle in his body was clenched; even his toes were curled at the blazing pleasure of it all.

He held on to the woman beneath him, the slightest movements sending another surge of exalted delirium. He collapsed on top of her when it seemed she had emptied him of all he had, his breath ragged. He lay there, utterly spent and entirely happy.

For a long moment, she lay there, pressed comfortably between the mattress and Sand's slick, carnally exhausted body, listening to his heaving chest ease down into steady breathing once again. She felt pleasantly numb, the gentle, warm thrumming that followed her release still pulsating through her skin.

_Gods, what time was it?_ Nevalle expected the trade routes tomorrow...she was supposed to translate spy reports in the afternoon, and she'd barely be able to keep her head up past breakfast at this rate.

She turned her head, sleepily nuzzling her cheek against Sand's, his long, tangled hair sliding across her face._Completely worth it._

When he finally regained control of his body, Sand lifted his head, murmuring barely coherently, "Covers. Under." He rolled off her lithe body and lifting his blankets, inviting her in. He crawled in after her, tucking the heavy covers around her shoulders. He could tell the sun was starting to rise - he hoped he wouldn't be needed for anything tomorrow. He could just pretend he was sick.

_Yes Sand, shirk from your duties in your fight against an evil from the ancient Illefarn empire by pretending to be sick because you stayed up all night with a woman._

He smiled. That sounded like a plan. He nestled his body into Torio's and promptly fell asleep.

* * *

Torio awoke from a pleasant, dreamless, near-dead sleep to a sharp knocking sound, persistently echoing through her head.

She opened one eye, and winced, promptly shutting it again. Sand's curtains were wide open, and the late morning sun was shining rudely into her face. Her head was thrumming with a dull headache; she must have only been asleep for a few hours...

She felt a warm figure shift against her back, heard Sand's voice mutter something insensible...sighing contentedly, she curled into his body, easing down to go back to sleep...

_KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!_

"Wizard! Sir Nevalle is requesting your presence!"

Torio's eyes snapped open. She lay very still, as if the guard would be able to deliberate she was there by merely hearing the sheets rustle. As if the louts could deliberate past their own noseguards, half the time...

Sand heard the knocking and groaned unhappily. Of all the mornings... He sat up and looked at Torio. She was already awake, frozen in position and watching him. He kissed her swiftly and clambered out of the bed. He approached the door and said sharply through the wood, "Please tell Sir Nevalle I shall be with him as soon as I am dressed." Thinking to buy more time, Sand smirked. "Tell him he surely doesn't need to see me naked." He went to his wardrobe and quickly pulled on a clean robe.

Sand fumbled with his component pouch, pulling out another two dollops of the gum arabic and pulling out two more eyelashes. It appears he would have to start buying eyelashes in bulk at this rate. He sat on the edge of the bed, next to Torio. "I have to go get something from my alchemical bench in the basement. I shall be back quickly." Sand stood, concentrating and cast another _Arcane Lock _spell, this time on his door. Without explaining further, he cast_Invisibility_ on himself.

He cautiously opened the door and peered out. Nobody was looking in his direction and he quickly slipped out, closing the door tightly behind him. Lifting the hem of his robes to prevent conspicuous swishing noises as he ran, an invisible Sand ran down to the stairs to his alchemical bench. The Construct was there but Grobnar was not.

Sand searched through his vials of potions. He knew he had one handy; he always did... He snatched up the pink potion triumphantly and practically ran back to his room.

Torio slipped from under the blankets as soon as Sand was gone, wriggling into her clothing; the skirt was horribly wrinkled, and her shirt...she frowned in irritation as she noticed the back of it was effectively torn straight down the middle.

_As much as I can't really complain..._

She pulled it on anyway, comforted by the fact that Sand (hopefully) would cast _Invisibility_ on her before she left. She picked up her shoes in hand and sat on the bed, trying to ignore the fact that her feet dangled at least four inches away from the floor. Her insides were twisting nervously, her initial weariness banished by a rush of adrenaline.

When the door to Sand's room opened and the wizard appeared with a muffled pop! of dispelled magic, her eyes immediately went to the vial in his hand. She arched an eyebrow at him questioningly, sliding off the bed and walking towards him.

Sand handed her the potion, explaining, "Made of cotton root bark and oenothera extract. To...ah...prevent surprises nine months ro so down the road. Not sure how you would explain _that_ one to Nevalle. Though it would be entertaining to see."

He noticed that while her skirt was fine, if a little dirty and wrinkled, her shirt was very clearly torn. He went again to his wardrobe, looking for a shirt that would fit her. He found a deep maroon tunic and gave that to her as well. "It's not Proskurian silk but it's in one piece. I'll see what can be done about getting you more clothes, my dear."

He stood there a moment, looking at her. He cleared his throat awkwardly. "I enjoyed last night. Come see me after dinner and I'll remove my enchantment." He felt himself start to blush and without waiting for a response, cast _Invisibility_ on Torio.

Torio opened her mouth...

And glanced down at herself, feeling the by-now familiar tingle of magic. Once again, she was invisible. Irately, she pulled the tunic over her head..._washing soap and a hint of dormant magic._..and moved to the door, her bare feet padding silently against the floor. She glanced over her shoulder; she knew Sand couldn't see her, but her eyes narrowed, regardless.

"_Bodaes_," she said, unable to keep the caustic drip out of her voice. With a low chuckle, she stepped out into the hallway, her shoes and the potion in hand, and swiftly retreated to her room.


	4. Chapter 4

**_Part IV: Gyges_**

Sand was sitting at his desk, the books opened reverently before him. Lantan portal construction really was quite the marvelous feat if you could get it just right; if you made a mistake (and mistakes were easily to be had), it was always disastrous.

Pity magic was so all-or-nothing.

He rubbed his blue eyes tiredly. He hadn't had much sleep the night before. Not that he minded - Torio had been a rather unexpected and surprisingly welcomed companion.

_She's your lover. Admit it._

Fine. Lover.

He had found it exceeding difficult not to stand near her, watch her, and speak to her at the last briefing and he had found himself protective when Ammon had started attacking her trustworthiness and motivations. Which was foolish, because Sand still had the same reservations about her; just because they had spent the night together didn't mean he necessarily trusted her either. And yet...

And yet here he was, waiting for her to stop by his room, under the pretense of discussing some mundane Luskan arcane lore when really she would be coming by to have him remove his enchantments from her silver bracelet.

He hoped that decision wouldn't be the beginning of his untimely demise.

* * *

There suddenly seemed, to Torio, to be a higher number of guards wandering the halls.

She kept her pace slow, nonchalant, avoiding eye contact with the armed men as they stood like statues along the hallways she was walking through. She had the ridiculous urge to break into a run to get past all of them.

_That's it, is it? Not to get you to Sand's door faster?_

It had been somewhat of a challenge keeping herself schooled throughout the briefing; releasing some irritation at the warlock had helped, but then Sand had stepped in, and it had taken most of her control not to meet his eyes, to merely turn her head and ignore him. She had felt strangely pleased...

_Well, it _had _shut Jerro up..._

She glanced over her shoulder; the noise her heels made against the floor was inevitable, but as she turned the corner that led past the Library and towards Sand's room, she blithely passed behind the wall and bent down, wriggling her feet out of the slippers. Giving a cautionary glance up the hallway, she stole barefooted, undignified, and near-silent towards his door, rapping on it quietly and hurriedly with the backs of her knuckles.

* * *

Sand heard the knock and he nearly stepped on Jaral's tail as he bolted for the door. He stopped short and took a deep breath, smoothing down his robe and already immaculate hair. Sand opened the door slowly, speaking in what he hoped was a loud, unassumingly sarcastic voice. Jaral took this opportunity to dart out into the hallway, no doubt to try to catch some mice. "Ah, Torio, how kind of you to be on time. Tell me, when you were in Luskan, were you this particular with how punctual you were with your ..ah... clients?"

He ushered her in and closed the door, locking it.

Torio snorted derisively as she dodged the fleeing cat slipping between her legs and out into the hallway. As he locked the door behind her, her skin prickled slightly taking in his room again...hardly 24 hours ago, she'd been lying on that bed..."Impeccably smooth, Sand," she said caustically. "You're lucky the be-louted guards their 'Graces' post around this keep are half-asleep, as it is." She set her shoes down by the door and stood, smoothing her dress down as she eyed him momentarily. He looked tired...probably as tired as she felt. She couldn't quite keep the warm flush from spreading through her at the thought of what had kept them up all night.

"You are ready to cast the spells, I hope?" she asked quickly.

"Hmm. Yes well you're just as lucky that they're so careless." He gave her a quick, mocking smile. "What, no hugs and kisses today, my dear girl? Just the spell?"

He went to a chest by the desk and pulled out a rough stone with glittering minerals, and a fine white crystalline powder in a small pouch. He rummaged through until he found a simple glass bowl, and a thin wooden dowel. He showed the spell components to her. "Loadstone and saltpeter. Come. Sit." He led her in front of the fireplace, and sat cross-legged. He placed the loadstone into the bowl and poured the saltpeter on top. He held out his hand for hers. "You will need to hold the bracelet very steadily over the bowl."

She sat across from him over the bowl, placing her hand in his; she shivered slightly at his cool skin, a small trace of goosebumps rising along her flesh. "I'm reserving affection in case the spell backfires, _bodaes_," she said, her voice wry. "I can't very well retract a kiss after my arm's accidentally been disintegrated, now can I?"

She watched him through the few strands of hair that constantly seemed to fall in front of her eyes, despite her attentive neatness. His hand was dry and almost chillingly cool compared to the fire that licked across her skin, and she watched as he positioned her arm so that the bracelet hung squarely over the bowl. She felt a trill of nervousness shiver through her..._what if it didn't work?_ Their deal would be moot; he wouldn't be able to deliver his end of the bargain, and she wouldn't be required to hold up hers...

She found herself somewhat disappointed at the thought as she watched him, waiting.

Sand gripped her hand tightly, tighter than what was really required but he found himself secretly enjoying the touch of her skin again. He lifted the dowel of wood and placed it into the fire, waiting until the end became lit. He lifted it between them, the smoke rising softly. He caught Torio's eyes, nodded reassuringly and then closed his, focusing on the strange arcane words he was now muttering and the sharp, precise movement of the lighted dowel. He opened his eyes and quickly stuck the little flame into the bowl.

There was a burst of white, metallic light and a visible morphing of the air around them; but just as it had started, it ended.

Sand let Torio's hand go, saying softly, "I've released you from my enchantments, _Helkaer_."

Torio felt nearly nothing; a slight, complaining twist around her wrist that shot up her arm for merely a heartbeat, and then sudden lightness, almost weightlessness...the air around her no longer seemed as heavy as it had before, and she closed her eyes, inhaling deeply as a slightly relieved, pleased smile touched the corners of her mouth.

_Well. It seems to have worked._

_Yes, thank__ you._

Her head felt a little clearer, as well. The weariness that had been dragging at her all day ebbed slightly, and when she opened her eyes, she bent forward, brushing her mouth against Sand's lightly, her breath quickening at the mere act of leaning towards him. "Consider that a thank you," she said, her voice slightly rough as she pulled back.

Torio pulled away too quickly before Sand could return the kiss. He felt a little disappointed at the briefness of their contact but quickly masked it, saying professionally, "Well, don't thank me just yet, dear girl. We still have to see if I can suppress the other enchantments."

He rolled up his sleeves. "This will be significantly harder, even for someone of my considerable talents. The _Reaving Dispel _spell can fail; there is never any guarantee." _All-or-none._ He stood again and went back to his chest. He pulled out a small, flawed alexandrite crystal and placed it in front of Torio. "The gem will hold the enchantment limiting you to the Keep. However, the Torture enchantment requires a living creature. Let me see if I can move it me for a time. Just a little experiment, dear girl."

Sand stood back, his hands weaving invisibly glyphs in the air, his lips working furiously but quietly. Sweat was starting to bead on his forward; he didn't want to tell her but if something went wrong with transferring the Torture spell there was a possibility he'd activate it either on himself or on her.

_That would be a pleasant way to end the evening._

Torio watched his fingers weaving in poorly disguised fascination, his face focused and eyes slightly glazed with concentration. She could feel the prickle of building magic along her skin, and her heart ran unutterably fast as a rush of adrenaline shot through her...

His words ended, and there was a straining, resistant pull along her arm that made her flinch; and then a barely tangible _snap!_ as whatever it was flew from her body.

She blinked at him, momentarily startled; the bracelet fell unusually cool against her wrist; normally it felt like a live thing, clinging to her skin like a leech. She found herself morbidly curious. "Did it work?"

Sand sank to his knees, exhausted but entirely pleased. He smiled at her, "Well neither of us are screaming in agonizing pain, so yes, dear Torio, I would have to say it worked." He felt the enchantment sitting on him; it was utterly unpleasant. A strange, heavy prickling, anticipatory feeling - much like having that ranger Bishop constantly watching you out of the corner of his eyes but never quite being able to catch him doing it. He picked up the alexandrite and placed it discreetly in his desk drawer. He would love to see Neeshka try to steal the gem and have it refuse to leave the Keep.

He exhaled, wiping the sweat from his brow. "I do have enough energy for two invisibility spells, if you'd like to go outside for a bit..."

Torio felt wonderful. Feeling somewhat ludicrous, she stretched her arms above her head, her body feeling incredibly light and supple and weightless. She hadn't even noticed the difference the spell made until it was gone...understandable, since she'd been shackled when they'd closed the bracelet around her wrist. His smile, when he looked at her, looked tired and pleased at the same time, and she felt her stomach clench with eagerness at his suggestion.

_Down, girl. Do you want him to think he's got you wrapped around his finger? That's _your_ job. Remember?_

She moved to where he was kneeling, her face impassive...standing in front of him, she reached down, brushing a fingertip across his sharply pointed ear as she pushed a strand of hair from his face; she was surprised to feel the slight dampness of his forehead. _Strained, are we, dear wizard?_

"I wouldn't mind getting outside of the walls for a bit," she said. "If you're _sure_ you've got the energy for the spell..." Her eyebrow quirked sardonically, a wry smile twitching across her lips.

Sand gave a happy murmur when she touched his ear, but stood nevertheless. "After_ that_ spell,_ Invisibility_ is nothing." He reached out and took her hand with one hand, and pulled out the components with other. A quick incantation, a few movements of his fingers and suddenly - _POP_. They were both invisible.

"Lead the way, dear Torio. You're a free woman for an hour."

Stifling a chuckle, she pulled on his hand, unlocking the door and carefully pulling it open; out into the hallway, she carefully let it shut behind them, and then stood for a moment, flabbergasted. Did she even know any of the exits from the Keep? The main door would be too obvious; if it appeared to be opening and closing by itself they'd have every Cloaktower Mage in the Keep down on their heads, impeding their every move and examining the gate for demon possession or trickery.

She knew a part of the Keep that wasn't quite finished yet; accessing it might be difficult, but if they hadn't started rebuilding yet... Silently, she pulled Sand behind her, heading towards the West Wing; there were a pair of guards standing in front of the poorly blockaded entrance, and for a moment she felt her lip curl disdainfully; while building keeps cost money, she hoped the young Knight Captains realized what a vulnerable position they were leaving themselves in.

As she pulled Sand past the guards and over a few tricky pieces of scattered masonry, she felt a slight tugging, faint; it seemed to drag at her momentarily before releasing, and then she was out, out,_ out_...walking across blasted cobblestones of the ruined West Wing, the evening sky crisp and clear above her head.

She'd never been one for indulgences that didn't have some sort of immediate benefit to her situation; but with her shoes abandoned back in Sand's room, and the relative safety of the _Invisibility_ spell, she lightly stepped from the edge of the ruined foundation and past the boundaries of the Keep's walls, clutching Sand's hand. Curling the grass between her bare (and probably rather dirty) toes, Torio sighed.

Sand followed her silently, letting her take control of her first taste of freedom in...weeks? months? She led him to the grassy area, overlooking the farmlands. The stars were shining above them and he could hear the muted night sounds of animals and people. He heard her sigh and found himself happy he could give her this moment of contentment.

_You're certainly getting sentimental in your old age, elf._

What? I'm not old!

_How long before she goes from lover to love?_

Never. She's Torio.

Instead, he merely stood there in silence, holding her hand, waiting for her to make the next move.

She stood for a long moment, staring at the tree line many leagues in front of them, interspersed with pockets of farmland.

_It wasn't that far_, she realized. Her eyes shifted to where Sand was standing next to her, imagining she could really see him; his long, sleek dark hair and regal profile etched in moonlight.

_You're about the same size. With a weapon, and the element of surprise, you might be able to..._

_A weapon wouldn't do much against the spells of his magnitude._

_Maybe not when he's fully rested, but perhaps when he's tired...after casting a particularly draining spell, perhaps? One that will allow you to walk a few ways from the Keep's walls, where no one would be looking for him...?_

She could hear him breathing lightly, he was standing so close to her, his hand resting easily around hers. She hadn't needed a weapon to get him to bring her out here.

_Why pretend to consider it? You know that you're not going to do it._

The thoughts slipped from her mind, and she slid her hand up his arm, tucking it around his waist and nuzzling her face against his shoulder. "I never thought I would see the day you _didn't_ open your mouth to say something, _bodaes_," she said dryly.

His arm went automatically around her as she pressed into him. "Hmm. You had me speechless - or at least incoherent - several times last night, if I do recall correctly, _Helkaer_." He started walking forward, pulling her away from the Keep, feeling the thrill of rebellion and power. _To hells with Nasher and Nevalle _- he had found a way around them and their sniveling Cloaktower mages.

He looked down where he knew her face would be, more out of habit than anything. "Anything in particular you want to do? Anywhere you would like to go? Time is of the essence, dear girl, and I suggest you make the most of it while you still can."

Torio was content to follow where he walked for the moment; she'd barely seen the outside of the Keep when they'd ridden her here, and since that day she'd been inside the walls. "Is there much one can do while invisible? I don't even know where we are, besides _outside_." She gave him a sly look, reminding herself belatedly that he couldn't see it. Keeping contact with his body, she stepped in front of him, sliding her arms up his chest and around his neck. "But I must say, rendering you speechless seems like something I could get used to." She nuzzled her face forward until her mouth found his, and kissed him firmly, her tongue brushing against his lips.

Sand pulled Torio closer to him, pressing his mouth to hers and sliding his tongue between her lips. The heaviness of the enchantment resting on his body lifted momentarily as he embraced her and he sighed. The chill of the night air was a sharp contrast to the warmth of her human body. He tasted the familiar lip ointment again and he could smell her skin and the grass beneath their feet. He pulled back, and looked where she should have been, finding it strange to kiss somebody he could not see. "Well. That was some thank you."

His fingers found her face and he stroked her cheek briefly before taking her hand again. "I could give you the grand tour of the property, I suppose." He walked forward until he came to the edge of some farmhouses being rebuilt, a half tilled field and a few cows, sleeping.

Her lips still burned gently as he turned and walked her towards the front of the Keep, and she felt her blood stirring inescapably. The grass felt cool, and soft, and prickled against the bottoms of her feet in a rather pleasing way...

"Before us you see the attempts of brave and gallant commonfolk trying to force a sense of normalcy into a very abnormal situation. If you look to the left - the same! The right - oh look, more of the same." He chuckled wryly. "There's not much here unless you like construction and farms and I know for a fact you don't, dear girl."

Torio choked on a laugh. "Ah, the stubborn persistence of farmers...you would think, after so many years of being violently driven from their homes by one war after another, they would try to live somewhere else." She gazed at the farmlands in front of them with veiled contempt as he spoke...

He continued walking down the path that would lead them to the main road exiting the Keep to the High Road. He wondered how far he could take her before the other enchantments resisted. "There's not much else to do out here..."

But Sand knew perfectly well what he wanted to do with Torio, out here, while invisible.

_Listen to yourself! Sleeping with a woman outside? You're turning into a crazy wood elf. What's next, turning into a badger?_

She heard his voice trail off in an almost half-question

"Sand," she said, her voice low and sultry...she was suddenly giddy with the idea that nobody could see them, out in the open as they were. She bent towards his ear. "The grass feels rather lovely..."

Without waiting for her to finish her sentence and suggestion, he started pulling her towards the wild, untilled fields, his normally cool skin starting to flush slightly with excitement.

_You are definitely turning into a wood elf._

When he was certain they were out of earshot of anybody walking the roads, he stopped, and spun around, wrapping his arms around her. He whispered lowly, "If we're caught, we'll be hanged."

Instead of filling her with dread...like the words very well should have done...she felt her stomach clench tightly with excitement, shooting fingers of heat through her loins. "Oh _do_ tell," she whispered, her voice catching in her throat. "We shall have to try to get back before the spell wears off, then, hmm?"

She covered his mouth with hers once she found it, delving her tongue inside of it, while her fingers scrabbled searchingly against his invisible body, looking for the fastenings on his robe.

His words did very little to deter her and for that he was privately glad. He murmured into her mouth, "Yes, we have to hurry, my dear girl." She was still wearing the dress from earlier and his hands were pulling up the skirted portion up over her rounded backside. He pulled his mouth away from hers, pulling the dress very gently over her head - going slowly as to not have a repeat of last night's shirt fiasco. He dropped her dress to the ground and watched as it suddenly materialized.

Oh gods, he was really going to do this, wasn't he? The urgency of their situation pressed down upon him and he felt his member hardening with the thought of her naked, in front of him. He pulled her hips to him insistently. How much time did they have? 10 minutes? 15?

_Not enough..._

He looked back in her general direction, his hands running up and down her body lightly. Without his sight to aid him, he could only go by touch.

Torio gasped as his hands began running across her body; there was something intensely erotic about only being able to feel him in front of her. Her skin felt sensitized beyond belief, and as she fumbled with the last of the fastenings and pushed the robe off of his shoulders, she nearly shivered when her hands met his cool, smooth skin, sliding down across his chest and abdomen, to where his trews were tied together.

Knots were a bit harder without being able to see them, and he wasn't helping...she felt his fingers cup her hips and pull her against him; she could feel the fabric of his trousers pressing against her bare thighs, and his already hardening member straining against her body through the cloth. She forced her eagerness down, forced herself to work slowly; _it would be the mother of all ironies if you get caught because the spell wears out while you're still trying to undo his trousers..._

_Technically, they couldn't hang us for doing anything illicit...we wouldn't have gotten there, yet._

Finally, she heard the laces part, and she pushed the trousers off his hips, drawing her hands up the front of his thighs and wrapping her fingers around the length of him. "Amin merne amin ras darn llie," she murmured silkily, "Leha thaelol llie car ei tanak eidelandri..." _I wish I could see you...but feeling you has a certain advantage. _ Her own eyes shut involuntarily in pleasure as his member became impossibly hard underneath her touch, and she stroked slightly, reveling in the feel of him.

Sand felt his whole body tightened when she began stroking him. He had to get her on the ground. Quickly, Sand kicked off his pants, watching it reappear when it hit the ground and began slowly pulling her down to the soft grass, trying to be mindful of where her arms and legs would be. "Shar shyr shi eil eidalandri byrn air ei shalaer..."_What would be an advantage now is a blanket... _

He pulled her on top of him. So strange! He could look up where he knew her face was and see the stars above him - but there was no time to admire the heavens, not when he could feel the moisture between her legs and his own desperate throbbing. He pressed his mouth full onto hers, feeling his tongue against hers. "Hurry, Torio, dear..." he whispered, hoarsely, urgently as he began pushing her legs apart with his.

_9 minutes left... _

Torio exhaled slowly as she braced herself over him, her hands holding her weight from where they were pressed into the grass on either side of his head. She thrust her hips down mercilessly, hearing the urgency in his voice...whether for her body, or for the rapidly approaching end of his dampening spell, she wasn't sure, but as soon as she felt his shaft push up inside of her, her mind had room only for the maddening haze that took her over.

She barely noticed her knees grinding into the ground as her hips rode against his, blades of grass crunching between her fingers as she gripped at them, her breath coming heavy and warm and hard against Sand's cheek. She could see the ground beneath her, where Sand's body should have been, but the intense, heated brush of his chest against hers as she fell up and down against him burned a picture in her mind of his lithe, lean body spread out underneath her. She turned her head slightly, until she found the pointed tip of his ear, and murmured breathlessly, "Llie myr cael syr amin mylaes sut sai llie jhojaer shael arta llie n'alaquel...Amin shyr cae ordondraer llie." _You should have told me sooner how much you liked being on your back...I would have obliged you. _ She closed her mouth around the lobeless point..._gods, how she loved those sensitive ears of his_...and sucked gently in time with her thrusts.

"Ordondraer amin? Sher eir shar tyr, paes Torio?" _Obliged me? But at what cost, dear Torio?_ He ran his long, slender fingers down her back, stopping briefly at the small of her back. She was driving against him with short, quick strokes, and he could feel the small pebbles, and twigs digging into his backside painfully. But it was so worth it, to feel her on top, sliding her wet sex around his stiff staff. The danger, the anticipation, the sheer need to finish before the spell wore off was speeding Sand towards a speedy release he never thought possible.

_Hurry hurry hurry..._

She started sucking on his ear again and Sand's hands dug shamelessly into her round bottom, pushing her closer to him. He was beginning to realize that he was really quite lucky he had met a woman who knew how to use her mouth in all the best ways. "Mmm you must have the most talented mouth in all of Luskan, my dear girl." He sighed and pressed his cheek to hers, feeling the wisps of her hair on his face.

_8 minutes left..._

She chuckled throatily against his neck, amusement breaking through her lust-clouded mind. "How many mouths did you sample in Luskan, _Bodaes_, that mine shall come out as the most talented?" Aaah, but this senseless, maddening, thrillingly dangerous rhythm was burning her up; she closed her eyes...no use in having them open anyway...and felt his entire body smack gently against hers as she thrust down against him, over and over, faster and faster...

Sand wrapped his legs around hers, intertwining them and pulling her even nearer, relishing how close she was, how the cool night air differed from the burning heat of her skin. "Helkaer..." He inhaled the scent of her hair. "I don't need to sample many to know - I know I have impeccable taste."

Her mind was blurred with the intense pleasure that washed over her, moving as one long, aching, straining wave. Her hands clutched at his head, pulling his face against her shoulder as she gasped out raggedly, "Lisse'corm...a'mael...melar..." The Elven endearments rolled off her tongue before she realized quite what she was saying...

_There seems to be a rising problem with not censoring your words in the heat of passion, Torio._

_Deal with it later..._ she was _so_ close...

Sand felt her hands on his face as she began impaling herself on him in earnest and…

_Oh Mystra - did she know what she was saying to him? _Surely, she couldn't...

Sand felt his whole organ palpitate inside her and he nearly bit his tongue to stop the mad of torrent of words that he wanted to say in response. _Vanima...melamin... Beautiful...my love... _It wouldn't be fair to say sweet Elvish nothings in the heat of passion.

Instead, he moaned raggedly, "Oh gods, Torio..." He selfishly grabbed her hips and began guiding her movements along his shaft, spearing her fiercely between her legs, his breathing wild and unrestrained. With every lunge of their bodies, Sand could feel the time slipping away until he gave a trembling inhale between his teeth and the orgasm hit him full force.

His whole body bucked, his back coming off the grassy ground. He felt the rhythmic contractions inside his hard sex and he groaned as he felt the pulsations expelling his fluid into her. The heaviness of the Torture enchantment suddenly lifted fully from his chest and he thrashed violently against her, the gratification rippling over his lean body.

His body rocketing against hers, almost violent in his climax, sent a long, shuddering whimper tearing from her throat, and she clutched at him as he writhed underneath her. Her walls clenched around him unbearably, and then an explosion of a release, sharp and euphoric, shot through her and she cried out, muffling her voice against the soft part of his neck where his shoulder met, her fingers plunged into his hair. Her body was wracked with uncontrollable spasms of nearly painful pleasure, and she rode them out on his lithe, lean, lovely body.. _Oh sweet Deneir and all that is holy..._

Sand was pushing her lips to his pointed ear again, wanting to feel the wetness of her tongue and mouth. "Oh please please..."

Torio never, in her life, thought she'd hear the word _please_ come from Sand's mouth... directed at _her,_ nonetheless. Her body shaking and trembling with the receding throes of her orgasm, she turned her face and obligingly closed her mouth around the tip of his ear, running her tongue along the slightly curved, pointing shell, her breath pushing raggedly from her lungs.

Sand lay under her, twitching uncontrollably as the last of his pleasure emptied into her. Torio's mouth was now on his ear and he found himself making some quiet whimpering, murmuring noise of blissful contentment. He turned his face to look at her, seeing instead only grass and trees and sky..._Oh hells!_

"Torio! We have to get back inside the Keep. Quick quick, there's no time to get dressed." He sat up, kissing her swiftly on some part of her face that he couldn't see before grabbing for his robes.

Trying to control her heaving breath, Torio stood shakily and snagged up her dress; together with Sand, they bolted back up towards the Keep...she could feel a growing, insistent tugging on her body as she got nearer, and realized with dismay that the spell was seeking her out again. She felt grossly disoriented as the slipped over the cracked flagstones of the West Wing, over the broken keep stones, and past the guards, seeing the two sleepy looking sentries turn slightly at the noise they made slipping down the hall.

As Sand opened his door, it focused on her again with a sharp _snap! __Aha...you've found me again, haven't you? _ A familiar weight settled around her body as Sand's door shut behind them, and she could feel her shoulders slumping.

Sand quickly dispelled the _Invisibility_ spell, finally seeing Torio naked after their coupling. Her skin had a slight sheen of sweat and her lips were flushed red. He held her firmly by the shoulders as he felt the Torture spell lift from his body and settle onto her, noting the way the spell seemed to weight down her entire body. He touched her cheek gently. He did not envy her curse; but it was a small price to pay for getting a second chance at life instead of an unmarked plot of land 6 feet underground.

Torio gasped for breath, her body caught between the return of the spell, and the still glowing after effects of her climax; her knees were practically trembling as she gripped Sand's hand. "Well," she said breathlessly. "Once again, I find myself running naked through the halls with you, _Bodaes_."

Sand laughed. "We should make it a hobby, a sport. To run past that holy paladin and see if his divine sense picks up and abhors our naked, carnal, devious selves." His blue eyes glittered in the firelight, playfully.

She let her dress fall from her fingers, chuckling at the mental image Sand painted; she could very well see themselves running circles around Casavir, naked and invisible. "You've got a wicked mind, Sand," she said, her voice mock-scolding; but her lips half-curled in a smile. "I think we'd injure his brain irrevocably...hmmm..." She pursed her lips thoughtfully. "Not a bad idea..."

Sand began pulling her to the bed. "I am suddenly _very_ glad I am not going on that escort task tomorrow. Somebody needs to keep an eye on you."

"Ha!" she said, falling back onto his bed. "From the way you fly fast and loose with invisibility spells, I'm surprised the members of this Keep can see me half the time." She tugged at his arm, impatiently wanting his body next to hers; they had been torn apart too soon for her liking out in the fields, and now that she could see him...his hair was mussed impossibly around his face, dimpled marks in his back and high on his buttocks from where he'd been pressed into the ground.

Arching a brow at him, her voice mockingly light, she said, "Brave wizard, have you been wounded? You seem to have done battle." She traced a hand around the indented, angry looking grooves in his back.

Sand, in his mad rush to get back to the room, had forgotten about the scratches and dents on his back. Her touch was soothing though and he crawled onto the bed next to her, enjoying the way her fingers stroked at his wounded skin. He was exhausted, the tiredness only hitting him now that he was in bed. How did people sleep at night when they were with a woman?

"Hmm." He said, his eyes half-closing. "Battle, mmm yes. With a crafty..." He kissed her forehead. "Deceitful..." He kissed her nose. "Guileful..." He kissed her lips. "Luskan harpy." He closed his eyes, a small smile on his mouth. "I think I won."

She shivered as he trailed kisses down her face. Wriggling slightly, she maneuvered the blanket around them, sliding her arms around him and pressing her face against his chest.

Her eyes sank shut for a moment as she sighed, brushing her lips across his skin momentarily. "Maybe this round," she said grudgingly. "But don't think I'm done with you yet, _Bodaes_."

She rested her cheek against his lissomely muscled chest, feeling his breathing settle deeper as she traced light, steady circles around his skin with her finger. The words she'd inexorably uttered during that particularly intense climax were niggling at her, and she opened her eyes, staring at the opposite wall.

_Deal with it later, you said?_

_Not__ now...later._

She was quite adept at diversionary tactics; she'd used them in the past with great success, and she closed her eyes again, sighing slightly.


	5. Chapter 5

_Authors' note:_

_There is some modified poetry here._

_The original work is "Lullaby" By W.H. Auden_

* * *

**Part V: Decus Et Tutamen**

Torio watched from one of the throne room's many arrow slit windows as the preparations bustled beneath her in the courtyard. There was a formal function being held at the Keep this evening, due to Lord Nasher's "surprise" appearance (an appearance for which the denizens of Crossroad Keep had been preparing for for days.) The Keep had been unorthodoxically attacked a week ago, and despite having their forces split up, the Knight Captains had managed to push back the rather determined shadow priest behind the assault.

And now they were throwing themselves a party. _ The fate of Faerun rests in the hands of these...? _ She snorted, her eyes catching Sand in the courtyard below as he walked across her field of vision, helping with the preparations. Her gaze followed the elf momentarily as she thought back to the fight almost a week ago...

* * *

_When the Hellcat died, Sand slumped against the wall and slid down until he was sitting on the ground. Whatever was left in the front of the Keep, he knew the others could handle. The last spell had been exhausting._

_He glanced down the hall where he could see Torio standing. A part of him felt like berating her for coming out into the fray when he had clearly told her to go to safety. Another part of him was secretly thankful he even had someone who cared enough to risk their life for him._

_Foolish girl._

_He rolled up his sleeves; the cuts were deep and his hands were covered in blood. He reached inside the pockets of his robes for some healing vials and quickly drank one. _

_Torio saw Sand sink against the wall...his robes were clinging to him wetly, dark stains spreading across the fabric...even as he tossed back a healing phial, she was there, plunging a hand into the pocket of her skirt and pressing two of her...(technically his) potions into his hand. _

_"When I said earlier you should try __not__ to die, I did not imply that you should get as close to death as you could," she said; her voice was sharp, but she was having trouble meeting his eyes, worry straining at their corners. She straightened, eying the fight a few yards away in the entryway; __six soldiers, Kana, Nevalle, and Neeshka should be more than capable of taking out two chain devils and a mortally wounded Eryines..._

_Her adrenaline seemed to shut off all at once, and her shoulders slumped wearily. She uncorked a healing potion and drank it down where she stood._

_Sand took the vials from Torio, replying dryly, "But my dear Torio, I happen to like flirting with danger. How would I know whether or not I want to be a lich if I didn't sample a little bit of death?" He uncorked the vial and drank it, then glanced at her coyly. "What do you care, dear girl? Wouldn't this have been a perfect opportunity to rid yourself of your archnemesis?"_

_Torio snorted lightly. "How do you know I'm not seizing such an opportunity right now?" Her eyes flicked to the empty potion bottle between Sand's fingers, an amused quirk to her eyebrows. "Awfully trusting, aren't we, wizard? I'll have to remember that the next time you go looking for a glass of Elderwine."_

_He said lowly to Torio, "Ah I see you've been busy plotting my demise while the rest of us have been fighting for you... We really should talk later, my dear, when I'm not quite so busy painting the Keep's floor red." He winced, then whispered, "Amin eis kar lle eisi ialasaer." __I am glad you are unharmed._

_Torio said nothing...but merely dropped the last healing potion into his hands, before taking a step back to watch the end of the fighting..._

* * *

Torio leaned against the window frame; Sand was now walking back up towards the Keep, and she frowned thoughtfully. She had used the subsequent chaos of cleaning up the Keep after the attack and preparing for Nasher's arrival to employ Bishop's help in slipping an obscure missive to the courier, and her mouth twitched slightly as she watched the wizard disappear from view. Her insides churned for a moment; would Bishop keep his mouth shut? Did her letter arrive intact? Would Sand...

"My lady?"

She jumped, and whirled around, glaring coldly at the young man behind her. "What do you want?" she snapped.

The man shrugged a satchel off his shoulder, and reached into it, pulling a bound package with a scroll of parchment attached to it. "Was told to bring this to you, pers'nally, ma'am," said the disgruntled courier. "'ad to ride nonstop fer near two days."

Her eyebrows went up. So, her missive did make it after all. _That was rather quick, you old seadog. _ "My thanks," she said quickly, and slipped past the courier, heading for her chambers. She stepped inside her room, and shut the door behind her, locking it.

* * *

Sand entered the Keep, his eyes scanning the throne room for Torio. The Luskan wasn't at her usual spot, leaning against the wall by Kana's desk._Hmm._ He walked briskly across the floor, around the corner and down the short hallway and popped his head into the Library. Only Aldanon. Sand retreated before the old sage spotted him and mistook him for something bizarre or inane like he was prone to do.

She could only be in her room. He couldn't image she'd be pleased with the celebratory activities taking place around the Keep. It was so ... not Luskan. He walked further down a smaller hallway until he came to a small wooden door. He knocked quietly.

"Helkaer."

* * *

_"...heard neither sight nor sound from you. In any case, my boys found it in your chambers; the door was merely locked, unguarded, and frankly I was surprised there was still anything in there that hadn't been looted yet. Keep your head low...a few of the higher ranking mages are pretty raw over Garius' quick and easy rise, and yours as well...so far they've merely denied any knowledge of what Garius was doing, but..."_

_Knock._ "Helkaer."

Torio's head snapped up from the letter. Quickly, she folded it and shoved both it and the small, velvety wrapped bundle into one of the crooked dresser drawers by her bed. She reached up automatically to smooth her hair as she turned the key to unlock her door, and then pulled it open slowly, revealing Sand standing in the hallway.

Her eyes flicked behind him momentarily...seeing no one else there, she stepped aside, holding her door open. "Come in."

Sand swept gracefully in. "I'm not disturbing you, am I, dear girl?" His eyes took in the room. It was small, as she had hinted earlier but neat. A wooden dresser and a clothes trunk were also present. A small desk was stacked with books, some parchment paper, ink... He found his eyes inadvertently going to her bed and he smirked when he recognized the large fluffy pillows from the Knight Captains' rooms.

"Torio! I should warn the others of your superior sneaking and thieving skills. It would be frightening to think you could slip into our glorious leaders' rooms and misappropriate their bedding..."

Torio shut the door behind him...and after a moment, she locked it again. Knowing the manners of her fellow Keep-mates, she wouldn't be surprised if the entire Greycloak contingent came marching into her room.

She turned just as he commented on her pillows, and snorted derisively. "There are some things a lady simply cannot do without. And seeing as how Cairan isn't much of a lady...although some days he makes me wonder...I doubt he'd miss such things." She quirked an eyebrow at him contemptuously. "I haven't heard the alarm called yet, at any rate."

She took a step forward, her eyes hooded. "And I doubt you came here to comment on my bed trimmings, _Bodaes_." She inhaled slightly...good gods, he _smelled _like magic. It was practically hugging him, the faint traces of a rather powerful spell, and she took another step towards him.

Sand heard the click of the lock and he gave her a slight cool smile. It appeared he was expected to stay. "Well, I forgive you for your pillow-stealing transgressions." She was approaching him slowly and without saying anything further, he stood on his toes (_Damn, she was wearing her heels again_) and pressed his lips to hers, no longer in public view and no longer having to place that unfriendly distance between them.

He pulled back. "No I did not come here to comment on your bed trimmings." Why had he come here, exactly? He stroked her cheek with a long elegant finger. "I notice you have been absent from the merry preparations." The sarcasm was thick.

Torio rather liked the few inches she had on Sand at the moment...but his mouth against hers, and the overwhelming scent of raw power made her shiver slightly; _needs must, I suppose._ She stepped down out of first one, and then the other, sliding the heeled shoes towards the wall with her foot, her eyes regarding him the entire time. "Merry preparations," she said dryly, "are not my forte. How would I be introduced to said guests by our illustrious Knight Captains? 'Oh hello, this is the former ambassador from Luskan, who incidentally tried to kill me?'" She chuckled languidly. "And nearly succeeded, as well."

Sand's hands clasped her around the waist. "Well - if you happen to be interested in attending the party, I'm certain a _Polymorph_ spell can fix that awkward social situation." He studied her face, trying to imagine what she'd look like as an elf. "I just spent the afternoon teleporting practically an entire city full of people here for Nasher's welcoming ceremony - so you'll have to excuse me if I seem a little out of sorts."

Torio laughed. The idea didn't seem too unappealing..."A polymorph spell? As long as you don't turn me into _Jaral_..." She began toying with the front of his robes, her voice sly. "Out of sorts, you say...I suppose you would be, so far from home. I should take advantage of you in this weakened state."

Sand kicked off his footwear and flopped back on her bed. "Feel free, dear girl. I will provide no resistance. You will save me from the horrible fate of having to mingle with Neverwinter's elite, politicians and nobles and pretending to like them and their tax policies. Oh the intrigue! The gossip! The politics! The tiny finger foods!"

Torio watched him for a moment...there was something strangely satisfying about seeing Sand sprawled out across her bed. "With your competent fingers, I'm surprised you don't prefer such things." She slid to her bed and sat on the edge, nudging Sand's body over slightly with a shift of her hips. She ran a hand through her hair, shaking her head in mock resignation. "It seems most of the things worth knowing about happen outside of the Keep..." She smirked. "And somehow involve you, _Bodaes_."

The draining effect of a busy day of spell casting, in combination with now lying on Torio's small bed was making Sand drowsy. "Mmm - we'll get you outside of the Keep on a more permanent basis soon. I'm working on it." He yawned.

Torio had begun tracing small, uncomplicated patterns across his stomach as he talked, watching how his eyelids fell heavily every time he blinked. She nudged him over a little more, and stretched herself out next to him. "Yes, you're presenting quite the image of a diligent spell caster as we speak."

Her fingers were on him now, touching him lightly and soothing him into slumber. He draped an arm across her small frame and snuggled into her, content. "_Helkaer_, it is because of my diligent spell casting that I am somewhat...indisposed. Along with your insistence in keeping me awake most nights." He smiled sleepily. "Would it be all right if I just rested here for a bit? Wake me if somebody comes looking for me."

He fell asleep, breathing lightly, still holding onto her.

Torio watched him closely, her face inches from his. His breathing deepened almost immediately when his eyelids fell shut, the tired lines around his eyes easing as his body relaxed into slumber. They were close enough that she could feel each long, indrawn breath press him close, his chest and stomach expanding against her and then falling away again, the light weight of his arm resting around her comfortably, fingers dangling against her back.

_You have Sand, orator and counselor and wizard, the elf that ruined Garius' plans and your chances at true power, who mocked and taunted and cajoled you...Sand, unconscious, in your room._

_And the door is locked._

Her breath quickened momentarily. There was poison in her bureau, a dagger in her desk. They were practically surrounded with pillows, and he was obviously exhausted...

Her hand actually twitched in the direction of one particularly thick looking chenille pillow in a rather lovely light blue color before she pulled it back, frowning. _ Plenty of time, no rush, yes? _ She nuzzled her head down against his chest, hearing him make a quiet, irritated complaining noise before settling again.

Five minutes later, she was fast asleep.

* * *

Sand awoke first. The sun was starting to slant in the western skies. His clear blue eyes slid over to Torio's sleeping form and then around her room.

_Hmm._

He sat up slowly and carefully, being careful to not depress the bed. He took a pillow and slid it under Torio's arm where his body had been and slipped off the bed. He paused, waiting to see if she would awake.

When she barely stirred, Sand went over to her desk and began scanning the book titles.

_"Famous Citizens of the Sword Coast" "Luskan's Arcane Brotherhood" "Religions of the Sword Coast" "The City of Neverwinter" "The Leadership of Neverwinter" "The Nether Scrolls" "The Rise and Fall of Netheril" "Liber Occultatum" "The Quiet Deaths of the Brotherhood of Assassins" "Of Elven Poetry: Interpretations and Translations"_

Sand snickered lightly at the last book. He could tell where _her_ interests lay. His eyes fell upon the parchment on her desk... Anything interesting there, he wondered... He looked over again in her direction.

Torio awoke to the sound of leather sliding across leather, and kept very still. She was facing the wall, her arm slung over one of her larger pillows, while the shifting noises continued behind her. _Ahhhh, you old viper. _She didn't know whether she should be angry or grudgingly impressed that he was poking through her things, but for the moment, she remained still on the bed, listening...

Sand's eyes darted to Torio again. Did she just move? He watched her chest rising and falling gently... He looked back down at the parchment on her desk. Mostly notes on Luskan and Neverwinter treaties, trade agreements, some notes on the war...

_Too much politics for his liking._

He picked up the book on the Brotherhood of Assassins. The pages concerning poisons seem to be particularly worn... _Interesting_. He put that book down and pick up the tome on Elven poetry and began idly flipping through, looking for any dog-eared page or marks which may indicate which poems she preferred.

There was only one page that had been marked so far; a short poem was written towards the bottom of it, an indistinguishable mark scrawled next to it in ink.

Lirill llie maedol caer, amin liy  
Bhen arta amin tharear ranqui  
Commae ent thaelaes gaend eirdae  
Leha aul amin eis sor rusv en' noresh  
Jhaer i' jholol onna lie  
Firimar, kelia, leha nae amin  
lani aul aelosaeria.

_Lay your sleeping head, my love__  
__Human on my faithless arm__  
__Time and fevers burn away__  
__But in my arms, til break of day,__  
__Let the living creature lie__  
__Mortal, guilty, but to me__  
__beautiful in entirety._

Sand read the poem, his features softening. _Human on my faithless arm. _His eyes went back to her sleeping form, her shirt and skirt wrinkled from her sleep, her arm still draped over a light blue chenille pillow. She _was_ human, wasn't she. _Mortal..._She made it easy to forget that fact sometimes, but she was so young, relatively speaking, compared to him and yet, he could blink the decades away carelessly while she...

He shook his head lightly. He would not allow his thoughts to go there.

_...guilty... _

Yes there was never any doubt about her guilt, her actions. His brows furrowed; he was still irritated over the whole Ember fiasco. The first woman he enjoyed being with just _had_ to be embroiled in the biggest mass murder scandal in Faerun.

_...but to me beautiful in entirety_

_He couldn't argue against that, now, could he? It was utterly true._

Torio listened to the flipping of pages for a moment, silently chewing her lip. Cautiously, she turned over, eyes open, and saw Sand standing at her desk, his head bent over her tome of...

_Oh gods..._

"Find anything interesting?" She asked; she made her voice as clipped and sarcastic as possible, but it ended up coming out a bit high sounding...

Sand closed the book with a snap, looking up at her face guiltily. "Ah - dear girl, you're awake. Been awake long?" He continued to hold the book, staring at the cover. "Just...brushing up on my readings, I suppose you could say... _Bhen arta amin tharear ranqui._" _Human on my faithless arm._

Torio could feel the blood creeping into her face when he uttered the Elven line from..._that poem_. She had read and re-read it a night earlier, struck cold and warm all at once, staring at the page until it no longer had had any meaning. The tome of poetry had been easy to find, and even easier to slip out from under Aldanon's befuddled nose, and she had marked that page, almost carelessly..._mortal, guilty_...wanting to read it again when she had the chance, wanting...she wasn't sure what. But she had thought of Sand when she had read it, and now he was quoting the lines to her...

She licked her lips, her cheeks heated and her throat suddenly dry. His face was unreadable as he watched her, the book of Elven poetry resting easily between his fingers. "Ah..." she fumbled with words for a split second. "Brushing up on your readings, is it?" She sat up, smoothing down her hair absently, breaking his gaze. "Ent por llie utu mystaerol tanya meraer llie?" _And did you find something that suited you?_

Sand ran his fingers along the spine of the book. Was she..._blushing?_

He sat besides her on the bed. "Yes though I had never seen this particular poem before..." He opened the book again and flipped to the poem's page, reading it over again. "Perhaps, my dear girl...the question should be ...por Amin utu mystaerol tanya meraer llie?" _Did I find something that suited you?_

Torio glanced at him furtively from the corner of her eye as he sat next to her. She eyed the tome in his hands cautiously, as if he held a dangerous, exotic, and hard to control weapon instead of a bound collection of flowery Elven phrases. Which wasn't far off... she could feel the flush in her cheeks deepening as his gaze focused on her once again. _Think quickly, Claven_

"It...had...a certain quality to it that...struck me." She snorted lightly. "A poem that mentions humans in an Elven collection is a rare find." It had had a darker, more bittersweet connotation to it than some of the other _'My beloved is as gentle as a fawn'_ limericks she had suffered through to find it. She brushed out some of the wrinkles in her skirt nonchalantly, trying to make her voice flippant. "I suppose I shall have to find out more about the author. " _And whether or not he or she had a human lover..._

He silently handed her back the book, letting his fingers brush her warm skin, considering her actions, her words and her choice of poem. "Hmm." His blue eyes found her clear ones. "Such Elven and human...um... relationships are not all that rare. The written works can be found but are often hidden or buried beneath layers of metaphors."

Sand lay back on her bed, avoiding her eyes, his legs dangling over the edge. "Elves, as children, are often warned away from humans - nothing but grief can ever come of such unions, it is said. So perhaps that is part of the reason why the work is fairly obscure - nobody wants to be told 'I told you so'." Sand laughed bitterly.

"Hmmm." She stood, quickly moving to her desk where she propped the book of poetry up behind one of the taller stacks. "I don't believe you were ever a child, Sand. Spawned from some unholy ritual into the full grown creature I see before me, perhaps. But a child?" She chuckled.

He was avoiding her eyes; said eyes had narrowed to slits as she approached him on the bed. "You don't seem to be taking your elders' advice, _Bodaes_." She crawled up onto the bed, her skirt bunching up above her knees as she sat astride his thighs lightly, most of her weight still held up by her own legs. She arched a brow inquisitively down at him.

Sand looked up at her, above him on the small bed. "I can assure you I was a child at one point. But at best, my childhood and adolescence were awkward and embarrassing but loving and educational." He reached out and took her hands, tracing the skin lightly with his fingers. "My dear Torio, I suspect at _this_ point, you being _human_ is the least of my concerns if I'm ever caught with you. I'm sure my elders would have also warned me away from Luskan ambassadors, had they known about you, _Helkaer_"

She was on top of him.

Again.

Why _was_ he risking his life for her? And not just his life but his...

_(Don't say it! Don't even think it!)_

...heart too?

He looked away from her again.

His hands were cooler than hers, tracing patterns across her skin as he spoke. She chuckled. "Loving and educational? How very fortunate for you. As for being caught...oh, I trust that quick tongue of yours would come up with some suitable reason." She looked down at him wryly. "You'd be surprised at the ease with which words come to you when a noose is being dangled in your face."

He was looking with remote interest at some point on the far wall, and she frowned slightly; Sand was anything if not direct (albeit direct in a manner that sometimes allowed him to get under your armor before you even realized you were being attacked) but now he seemed distracted, uneasy. She bent forward, pressing her lips against the side of his face, her fingers clutching around his to keep her balance. "Your elders must sigh over you _constantly_, dear Sand. Consorting with humans, Luskan ambassadors, and branded enemies, all in one fell swoop." Her voice was lightly mocking as her kiss trailed to his mouth.

Sand wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close and returning the kiss. He loved the heat of her body, the taste of her lips (_She was wearing that fruity ointment again...), _even her scent, which smelled of books, and candles.

"Chasing after the King of Shadows isn't dangerous enough for me, my dear. I must also add you to the equation." There was a small pang inside his chest as he realized that worrying about her human lifespan was probably a little presumptuous of him since in all likelihood he'd likely perish first as a result of some mishap with a Shadow Reaver.

He wondered briefly if she'd miss him. Or if she'd even care. His eyes slid to her face. Some sick twisted part of him needed to know...

"My dear Torio... this whole...going after the King of Shadows affair... I may not return."

The knot between her shoulders was back, twisting impossibly tight. She stared down at him momentarily, the weight of his arms pulling her down across him bodily. She had never seen his face look so grim...or so sad.

She gently pushed herself off of him, twisting her body so that she could reach the small crooked stand of drawers next to her bed. Pulling the drawer, she paused, her heart racing..._by the hells, I can't believe I'm doing this, it's Sand..._

_...but then, it's Sand._

She reached in and pulled out the small, palm sized object wrapped in thick velvety cloth, shutting the drawer. It hummed irritably against her hand, objecting to human fingers touching it even through protective cloth, but...she had sent for it, had gone through the trouble and risk of obtaining it, and now she did what she had to do.

She pulled Sand up into a sitting position on the bed. "Open your hand," she said quietly. Placing the object in his palm, she released it with something of a relief, its angry aura settling down completely as it rested back in the hands of an elf. "A..._diola lle _for your thoughtfulness." She stared at him, her heart thrumming immeasurably fast. "And an assurance that you will have an easier time...coming back."

Sand could feel the magic pulling at him even as she opened the drawer. He was amazed he hadn't felt it earlier. When it dropped into his palm, his jaw dropped as the electrifying magical power coursed through him. His mind suddenly felt open, unlimited - like all the threads of magic were at his fingertips. All knowledge could be his...

An _ariik_ gem. He had heard of such things but they were protectively, even violently guarded by the Elven houses that owned them. The sheer number of spells he could now memorize... the information he could now obtain and consolidate...

He looked at Torio again. "How...on Faerun...dear girl... did you get this?" He kissed her fiercely, "Oh gods - you never cease to surprise me." He pulled his face back. "You could have been killed! These gems do not take kindly to those not of Elven blood! What a risk to take, you foolish girl." He kissed her again, pulling her close, feeling his heart and breath quicken both from the woman in front of him and the power he held in his hands. _She not only wanted him to return but may have given him what he needed to survive..._

Whatever words Torio could have thought of were muffled against Sand's fervent, hungry mouth; he practically reeked raw, magical power, and both the sensation and his lips on hers was making her head reel drunkenly.

To say she was pleased at his reaction... _well, pleasure definitely has something to do with it. _ She had always had a fascination with ariik gems; the one she had acquired had sat indignantly in a locked chest for years. Waiting. "Yes, risky," she said breathlessly, pulling back from him slightly. "So if you die now, _Bodaes_, you can imagine what my unending _irritation_ with you will be like." Her throat was constricted almost painfully as her arms slid around his neck, pulling him up against her as her mouth found his again, a relieved desperation fueling her movements.

Sand laughed, nearly giddy with the power. "Well then, dear Torio, I mustn't die then, if only to save myself from your 'unending irritation'. Knowing your tenacity, you'd find a way to follow me into the afterlife to torment me somehow." He nuzzled her. "But I enjoy resourceful women." He carefully put the gem on her desk and the power, though it subsided, still resonated within him. Sand looked back at her, seeing the light in her eyes and he leaned towards her...

Her mouth was on his now, kissing him with a new sort of unfamiliar passion. He wrapped his arms around her, crushing her small frame to his.

She pressed against him momentarily, inhaling as her mind turned. They had made a deal, of course...she would provide him with her "company" (which seemed to involve using her bed to sleep on and rifling through her things) and in return he would...risk his position at the Keep? Possibly his life? to give her small bouts of freedom outside the Keep's walls. He also could remove the Torture spell to himself...if somebody grew irate enough with her and activated it...

She had needed to balance the scales. Tip the favor.

_Return the kindness?_

Her mind was in completely unfamiliar territory now, but she knew one thing for certain; she wanted him to come back after every ridiculously risky and heroic outing the Knight Captains dragged him off on.

The rigid, prickly part of her mind whispered, _Besides...if anyone is going to kill him, it's going to be me. _The rest of her mind seemed to ignore it.

Sand squeezed her tightly, his eyes closed and pressed his cheek to hers. "Oh gods Torio, how can I ever thank you for this?"

She purred into his ear, her nose nuzzling against the sharpened tip of it. "I can think of a few ways..."

"Mmm. I love it when you think, dear girl." He nudged his ear closer to her mouth. "Really, as foolish as it may be to say this to you, but at this point I am very willing to do anything within my powers for you...and you seem to have just recently given me a lot of power."

Torio curled her mouth around Sand's ear, her tongue running along the curve of it and flicking against its pointed tip, before her lips followed, sucking gently. "Mmmm," she murmured, pondering what he said.

Sand whimpered happily when she began sucking on his ear, his eyes nearly rolling back in his head. She was saying something...

"You know," she whispered silkily. "In all my young years of..._working_, in Luskan, I heard tales of the male dancers in the lower reaches of the Hosttower...but I was never able to watch one..."

It appeared that he had just made a deal with a devil and she was collecting. He pulled his face back from hers and caught her gray eyes. He could tell she was amused, laughing on the inside. His own blue eyes then drifted to the ariik gem.

It was absolutely worth it. He might as well make it a performance she'd never forget.


	6. Chapter 6

**Part VI: Gratias Agere**

Sand sat up and gently wriggled out from under her and stood in front of her, between her knees, the flagstones cold on his already bare feet. He whispered playfully, "Only if you help..."

Torio could feel her mouth spreading into a wide grin, her eyes hooded. "Of course. My assistance is yours, _Bodaes_." She stood, the bed pressing into the backs of her legs and keeping her upright as her fingers found the leather thong in the elf's hair and dexterously worked it out, combing the strands through her fingers. She bent forward, running her mouth along his neck, her tongue lapping gently at his skin as she slid down to where his robe tied just above his collarbone. She took the end of one lace between her teeth and slowly, deliberately, pulled her head back, the movement running the knot backwards until the laces fell undone against Sand's chest.

Sand exhaled slowly as her teeth worked the lace loose, her teeth scraping against his skin. That knot - the tension - was building between his legs as the blood rushed down. He - they both - knew where this was headed. He shook his thick dark hair out, feeling the strands fall around his face and eyes.

Torio sat back on the bed, propping herself back on her hands and looking up at him, her eyes heated. "Robe," she said, her voice slightly hoarse. "Off."

He smiled at her, keeping his blue eyes locked on hers at all times as his fingers slowly traced a line up his abdomen to his chest. He lightly gripped the undone opening of his robe pulling them openly slowly, feeling only slightly ridiculous but at the same time, secretly enjoying this new lighthearted side to their relationship.

He held the robe open for a moment at his shoulders, before he arched an eyebrow at her roguishly and let the heavy fabric drop to the floor. He straddled her legs, pressing his bare torso to her clothed body, running his hands up her back gently.

"Robe is now off."

Shivers ran across her skin as she watched him, her eyes following the flicking, delicate movements of his fingers as he pulled his robe apart. Her mind's eye presented her with the multiple things she already knew those fingers were capable of, and she felt a swift, piercing sensation shoot through her as he pulled apart his robes, giving her a full view of his lissome, lithe torso...before shrugging off the robe, one eyebrow cocked down at her.

_Well...he certainly takes to this like a duck to water. _ Her mouth twitched in amusement for a moment; for all of his pained resignation when he relayed the story to her earlier, he looked more than willing to give her a repeat performance.

She leaned forward, brushing her lips across his lower stomach as he stepped against her. "I can see that," she said, practically purring...following her same method as before, she nuzzled her face against the growing hardness between his legs, before flicking out her tongue and catching the lace for his trousers in her mouth. Pressing her teeth together over the thin fabric, she pulled back, her eyes flicking up to his face as she drew the lace through the knot.

Reaching up, she slid the narrow fabric out of her mouth with deliberate slowness, and sat back, arching an eyebrow in an imitation of his expression.

"You know what to do."

Sand fought off the temptation to hold her face against his rapidly thickening member. Instead, he slid his hands down from where they were still resting lightly on his shoulders, down his chest, across his nipples, past his abdomen where he hooked his thumb along the top of his trews. He slowly wiggled the fabric down, exaggerating his movements so that his body was rubbing liberally against Torio's.

He felt the sudden gratifying freedom as his trousers slipped over his erect shaft and he pulled the pants down, kicking them off with what he hoped was a nice little flair. He rested one hand against his bare leg, and ran his other hand through his hair again, tousling it.

Torio's eyes blazed as she watched his hand travel down the front of his body, her nostrils flaring as she sucked in a sharp breath. His fingers ran through his hair, dark strands falling around his face, wildly framing his elegant features. Her breath came quick as her eyes roved down the length of his body...she licked her lips, resisting a sudden and rather terrible urge to growl.

"Oh my dear Torio - I appear to have run out of clothing...but there's somebody else in the room still dressed..."

She stared at him for a moment, her eyes hooded, lips slightly parted, burning the image of him posing in front of her into her mind. She stood, her mouth curling into a sly smile. "It appears you are correct, dear Sand," She paced around him, her eyes never leaving his face, her expression heated and almost predatory. When she had him between her and the bed, she pressed her hand flat-palmed against his chest, and shoved none-to-gently, sending Sand back onto the mattress.

It had been years...almost a decade, really...since she had _entertained_in a fashion that involved her removing her clothes. She waited until the elf sat up again, and stood over his lap; as her fingers went to the delicate strings that held her blouse closed, she nudged her body up against his and began undulating her hips against him slowly, her eyes never leaving his.

Sand's eyes grew impossibly wide as Torio took control, pushing him back to the bed and then straddling him. He swallowed; while him and Duncan had occasionally gone to Ophala's before she had changed the Moonstone Mask, Sand had only ever watched the girls. He had always felt too embarrassed to ask for a private dance, always telling Duncan that one of his great intellect did not need base pleasures for enjoyment of life... and perhaps he was always a little too cheap to pay for one...

But now it looked like he was about to get one for free from one of the (formerly) most powerful and still most intelligent women in Luskan and Neverwinter. The hot buzzing was making his muscles shiver with anticipation and he felt himself engorge further, becoming harder at the thought of what was to come. She was swaying against him, watching him always, and he fought the urge to simply lift her skirt and push himself between her legs..

Sand watched her finger toy with the fastenings of the front of her blouse and he hesitantly ran his hands up along her hips, his hands gripping her backside firmly and pressing her body to him.

Her fingers pulled her blouse apart quickly, moving in a steady, sensuous rhythm against his body as she peeled the fabric back from her skin an let it settle off her shoulders, catching in the crooks of her elbows. She lifted her arms and hooked Sand's neck with her shirt, rolling the fabric down off of her arms until it bunched around her wrists, twisting it and gripping it in her hands. She pulled his face immeasurably close to hers.

"Normally, _Bodaes_, you are not allowed to touch the dancers." She moved her hips against his hands slightly, shivering as she felt his fingers slide up around her bare waist and back down again. "Although I suppose I could make an exception in your case..." Her hips moved again, rolling forward to brush against his body. "As long as you make yourself useful."

Sand found himself with a bit of a lecherous, lusty grin as she draped her shirt over him, pulling his face to hers. He nuzzled her face and neck, inhaling. "Not allowed to touch the dancers, you say... and did these rules specify with what part of the body?" He lowered his hands slowly, lingering on her skin a moment. He glanced at her face. "I can certainly make myself useful and without touching you with my hands, _Helkaer_."

Sand moved his lips down to her bare collarbone, lightly kissing her heated skin. His pink tongue darted out and traced small, langorous circles on the top of her breasts before he pressed his face in her bosom. He gently pushed her away from him with his body and he slid to his knees to the floor, his mouth finding the ribbon that held her skirt together. He gave a sharp tug, working the knot loose with his teeth, his eyes flicking up to her face occasionally. The knot was undone, the skirt on Torio's body by nothing more than the friction against her skin. He looked up at her expectantly.

Torio's entire body shook slightly as she felt Sand's mouth against her body, his lips and teeth working the knot until it fell apart; she felt the skirt loosen around her waist, felt Sand's hot breath between her legs through the thin fabric.

Looking down into his face, she reached up, brushing her fingers down the front of her body, the tips flicking lightly across her nipples, eliciting a soft gasp from her lips. She let them trace around her curves, her eyes watching his face as her fingertips slid over the flat plane of her stomach, and slipped between the loosened waist of her skirt and her body. Pushing it down, the fabric slid between their bodies, soft silk pooling at her feet and slithering around Sand's knees.

Her eyebrows rose expectantly...she cocked a hip, her body moving a hairsbreadth from his face as she placed her hands on the back of her hips, the small of her back arching slightly. "And how about now, _Bodaes?_" Her voice was lightly teasing. "Will you let my hands have all the fun?"

The sight of her hands touching her own body, over her breasts and down to her hips was arousing him tremendously. "Oh goodness no, my dear girl," Sand murmured appreciatively, staring up at her body. He kissed the inside of her thighs, the soft milky white skin giving beneath his firm lips. "I demand equal enjoyment time." He burrowed his face between her legs, still kneeling at her feet, and slipped his tongue between the moistening folds until he found the small gem of female flesh. Pressing the tip of his tongue firmly against the engorged pearl, he began tracing out Elven letters with his mouth against her.

"Oh..." Her head fell back between her shoulder blades, her hands steadying herself as they pressed down on his shoulders. Her knees began trembling in earnest, and for a moment all she could feel was the movement of his tongue around and through her flesh...

_Ure...lambe..._ Through the haze that was rapidly descending on her mind, she recognized those symbols, and nearly laughed. Her hips reflexively pushed into him, one hand running up the back of his neck and cupping the back of his head, her thumb grazing the tip of his ear as she gently pushed his mouth harder into her. "_Bodaes_," she gasped, her voice ragged at the edges, "I...must confess, I prefer this method of exposition of yours." She groaned as he found a particularly sensitive spot. "Your elegance is quite..._aaah..._...impressive..."

Sand lifted his mouth slightly from her wet sex, his lips curled up in a slight smile. "What can I say, _Helkaer_? I was a good child and listened to my elders in some aspects and learned my letters well..." His breathing caught in his throat as he listened to her voice, quivering with pleasure at _his_touch. His own member was now fully hardened, standing erect in the cool air of her chambers. _Oh sweet Mystra_, he just knew if she touched him now...

She was pushing his head back between her legs and he obliged, his tongue sliding back out and lapping at the musky dampness. At the same time, he traced the fingers of one hand up her thigh, stroking her skin softly while the other hand went up and slipped two digits inside her small, wet opening, gliding his fingers in and out with short rapid strokes.

When Sand's fingers slid inside of her, Torio's legs buckled, her knees sinking against the mattress behind Sand as she gave a choked cry, swaying forward, her hands clamping down onto his shoulders to steady herself. She was so close; her body was tightening and releasing in a steady, building rhythm, waves of pleasure rolling through her as Sand's mouth worked over her flesh...

His cool fingers were sliding up her thigh, and she let her knees sink fully to the floor, letting her weight pull her down onto his lap. His fingers still slid inside of her, and her breath came heavy and fast as she reached down between them, her hand sliding down the front of his torso, to where his impossibly hard member strained between them, tall and erect, the rounded head brushing lightly against her stomach.

"Forgive me for interrupting your eloquence," she said breathlessly, and wrapped her fingers around him, stroking his length.

Sand could feel her whole form tensing as his tongue spelt out random Elven words, and as his fingers glided smoothly against her walls. He could feel the muscles begin to contract in a steady pulse and it seemed for a moment she would climax while half-standing, half-leaning on him. But then she lowered herself to join him on the cold floor and he felt her manicured hands curl around his stiff manhood. His lips found hers. "Oh my dear Torio, you may interrupt at any point if you have a good reply..." He sighed into her mouth as he said the last word, as she began rubbing him. "And I believe_ that _is a _very_ good reply."

He found himself leaning back against the bed, his mind foggy with desire, his hands still working adeptly between her legs. His chest was heaving with each breath and it took every ounce of his will to not give into the frenetic coil of want building inside him. He found his eyes roaming over her outcurved body; he admired her face, her eyes half closed and her lips parted slightly. With his free hand, he trailed up from her thigh, across her stomach to her breast where he rolled the nipple under his thumb before wandering his hand to her back and down to her backside.

Torio sighed languidly as his hand roamed over her body, her fingers tracing the long, extended shaft under her fingers as she stroked him. His mouth found her ear and she shivered slightly, the sensation sailing down her spine to where his fingers worked between her legs, sinking into her flesh and drawing back out again. She leaned against him momentarily, her body tightening...

...and then she nearly yelped as his hand gave her a playful smack on her backside.

_Oh gods, _he hadn't felt this youthful and mischievous ever. Or adventurous for that matter. He leaned forward and kissed her ear, saying softly, "There's something I'd like to try, Torio, my dear..."

"There's something I'd like to try, Torio, my dear..."

She arched a brow as she leaned back to look at him. His eyes were dancing mischievously, narrowed slightly and clouded with arousal. She stilled her hand for a moment, her mouth twitching into a slight smile. She realized once again that Sand was much, much older than her...and that this time around, it might prove advantageous to her. _I wonder what that slick little viper's gotten into in the past? _ Curiosity burned her as she kissed him lightly, her voice lightly teasing and deeply intrigued.

"Then why don't you show me what that would be, _Bodaes_?"

Sand flushed as he whispered quietly in her ear, "Let's get on the bed, shall we? And...ah..." How would he put this delicately? It was something he had heard the men of the Flagon boasting about but among Elves it was considered too uncivilized and animalistic. "...ah...and could you get on all fours?"

Torio's eyebrow rose a little higher, smiling slightly, but she merely stood, lifting her weight off of Sand's lap, and stepped around him. Sliding her knees onto the bed, she crawled forward, until her weight rested evenly between hands and knees, her toes curled against the mattress. Arching her back slightly, she tilted her head back, looking over her shoulder to where Sand was still kneeling by the bed...her voice practically purred as she asked, "Like this?"

Sand exhaled slowly when she moved to the bed and understood what he was trying to hint at but not directly say. He stood slowly and kneeled behind her, leaning forward and leading a trail of kisses from the small of her curved back, up past her shoulder blades until his mouth encountered hers. "Exactly like this."

He inched forward until the head of his shaft was nudging at her damp opening. Taking her hips in his hands, he slowly guided himself inside her, his eyes closed and lips parted at the new sensation.

Torio's fingers dug into the mattress below her as she felt Sand slide into her. He seemed to be hitting every sensitive point in her body, and she felt the sensation rise from between her legs and up her spine, coiling tightly and eliciting a gasp from her throat. His fingers curled around her hips, guiding her, and she pushed back against him slightly, her body arcing up to meet him, feeling his slightly tensed thighs against the backs of her legs and buttocks.

She arched her head back, eyes closed as he fused completely against her, her body strung tighter than a taut wire. She wriggled her hips slightly against the sensation, trying to think of a glib remark to make on Sand's ingenuity, but only a soft moan escaped her lips.

Sand held Torio against him for a moment, savoring the way her body was surrounding him. He heard her moan so he withdrew the length of him until he was only resting lightly inside her and then he out jutted his hips so that he slid forcefully back inside of her. He groaned and held her waist tightly, steadying himself. _All right - so now he knew why the patrons of the Flagon always spoke so highly of this position... _ He thrust himself hard into her again, the kneeling stance making it easy for him to push and withdraw quickly and easily. He leaned forward slightly and let the fingers of his right hand slip between Torio's legs again until he found the tender, sensitive nub. The other hand slid up her sides until they cupped her breast. _Could he do this without toppling over? _He closed his eyes again, letting the sensations guide him and began impaling her in earnest on his hardened member.

_"Gods..._" His hands seemed to be everywhere at once, stroking, caressing, while he drove against her...the angle let him slide impossibly deep into her depths, hitting every spot imaginable along the way until the base of her spine practically thrummed in aching pleasure. She grasped the bedclothes between her fingers and pushed back against him, her knees grinding into the mattress as she met each of his thrusts with a slight uplifting of her hips, the impact of his upper thighs against her buttocks making soft smacking sounds that intermingled with her quick, heavy breathing.

Sand prayed that there wasn't anybody walking by her door at the moment. He was vaguely aware of the inordinate amount moaning coming from both of them and that her small bed was scraping along the stone and the headboard was banging with a steady rhythm against the wall. He would have to remember to make cast a _Silence_ spell... except that hearing her whimper with his thrusts was much too enjoyable. _Ah well - another life-endangering risk for pleasure..._

"Oh Torio..." He was panting now, a light sheen across his chest as he continued to pound into her, his heart hammering in his chest. "Lle aileli amin." _You indulge me_. He gasped when she began meeting his thrusts with ripostes of her own, his breath coming out shaking. He could feel his testicles slapping between her legs with each drive forward and he felt them contract. He threw his head back, his dark hair falling around his shoulders. _Oh gods oh gods oh gods..._He felt his entire manhood constrict and he came suddenly, unexpectedly, the force of his climax causing his body to collapse on top of Torio, shuddering. He felt the erratic pulsing of his member and the hot fluid spilling from him.

Torio's back arched until her muscles burned, Sand's body impaling her over and over again until she thought she would fall apart at the seams. She was riding a cresting wave of euphoria, and she was _so_ close...she could _feel_ his member pulsing and throbbing inside of her, his hips reflexively and rhythmically pushing forward against hers, even though there was no more distance between them to fuse. She hung balanced, on the edge of climax, her body thrumming insistently...

Sand's whole body tightened and tensed for one glorious moment and then he sighed as the pressure ebbed, exhaling into her back, his arms quivering from exertion. Sand inhaled raggedly, the inebriating scent of Torio filling his head. "Oh Torio, gods, sweet Torio..."

His words shot through her in a single bolt, his voice filled with pleasure and longing and deep satiation, and as they reached her ears her body tightened that last imperceptible inch and clenched around him, shooting waves of unbearable heat through her. Her arms gave out, and they both fell forward onto the bed, collapsing in a heap, her sharp cry of "Sand!" half-smothered against the bedding as she bucked in the throes of release. She felt his body sink on top of hers, and after a few moments her muscles relaxed, and she sank against the bed, turning her face and gasping for breath.

His head had fallen against her shoulder, and she laughed breathlessly, his sharply pointed ear mere inches from her mouth, his hair strewn across her cheek. "Silver tongued, as always, _Bodaes_."


	7. Chapter 7

**Part VII: Ecdysis**

Torio was lying beneath him now, his chest pressed to her back and he turned slightly to face her. She looked happy and his heart gave a little squeeze at the sound and sight of her laughing, naked, under him. Sand held her tightly and said lightly, "You didn't seem to mind my tongue earlier, _Helkaer._" He reached over and began stroking her brown hair. "Was that an adequate thank you for the ariik gem or is there something else you'd like? Because..." He blushed, suddenly, oddly shy. "Ah...I assumed you'd like to come to the celebrations with Nasher. So I took the liberty of preparing a few things for you..."

Torio eyed him curiously, not saying anything for a moment. She'd been to her share of parties, but there was always an ulterior motive for her being there; always people to watch, information to gather, alliances to form, enemies to make...she'd never actually just enjoyed herself.

"Hmmm," she said, following the faint laugh lines that spidered almost imperceptibly from the corners of his eyes. They softened him somehow...the barest of imperfections on his otherwise smooth and fiercely elegant face. Her voice was halting when she spoke. "I...wouldn't...be averse to going," she said, watching his face. "But I'm almost positive I won't be welcome. I am not exactly on friendly status with Nasher, the denizens of the Keep or the entire party the Knight Captains they drag around..."

Sand kissed her and couldn't keep the smirk off his face. "My dear, haven't you figured it out by now that I can always find a way around anything?" He pulled his face away from her slightly. "Close your eyes. And trust me."

Torio narrowed her eyes. At this point, she was mostly certain that Sand wasn't about to assassinate her while she wasn't paying attention. At least, not right after lovemaking. (The bad etiquette of such an action was astounding, after all.) She kissed him lightly on the mouth, and then obediently shut her eyes, her heart hammering.

Sand rolled off her and reached for his robes, fumbling through pockets until he found the small pouch containing the silken strands of abandoned butterfly cocoons. Pulling some out, he lay it across her back and began the incantation, his hands weaving the necessary strokes in the air. He looked down at her form - she shimmered and then with the quietest of sigh - she solidified. An elf. "Open your eyes, my dear. Take a look in your mirror."

Torio shivered slightly as she felt the butterfly cocoons brush across her skin. Then Sand was muttering something unintelligible, and she felt a sudden pressure across her entire body, centering on those little wisps along her back and then spreading throughout. Then there was a...shift...and a not unpleasant twist low in her abdomen that came and went in the flicker of an eyelash, and then the sensation was gone.

She pushed herself off the bed unsteadily, her hair slithering over her shoulders and falling in front of her...her hair?! She stared, kneeling on the bed momentarily, at the long, sinuous locks of hair that tumbled lazily down across the front of her chest, midnight black and gleaming with flashes of blue when the light from her lamp and the afternoon sun hit it. She looked at Sand, her eyes wide, and scrambled off the bed in a completely undignified manner, rushing to the full length mirror standing propped in the corner...

Sure enough, an elf's face stared back at her...her cheekbones were higher, sculpted and refined, and sharp, pointed ears protruded through the thick fall of hair that tumbled down her back. Her body was leaner, lithe and slender compared to the curves that ran rampant beforehand, and her skin had taken on a bluish hint, only recognizable in certain falls of the light that shone in from her high window. She could recognize traces of herself in her face, but the only things that looked markedly the same were her eyes; slanted slightly, but the same clear grey. At the moment, they were wide and incredulous, both at Sand's power and his presumption. _ He turned me into an...?_

_Well, you most certainly won't be kicked out of the celebration now._

She turned, staring at him, pleased and mildly horrified. "You...how..." She glanced back at her reflection. "Is it permanent?"

Sand stood and followed her to the mirror. She was now slightly shorter than he was and he wrapped his arms around her waist, looking over the shoulder. "No - the spell, as it stands now, will only last about a quarter of an hour. But if I cast a _Permanency_spell on top, it will last until I dispel it."

He nuzzled her ear, taking the tip into her mouth as she had done to him so many times. "I can keep you a human and change your appearance, or make you half-Elven...I...ah... was just curious as to what you'd look like as an elf. Plus - there seems to be a permeating idea that I only sleep with elves." Sand sniffed. "So this may be a way to make your sudden appearance more believable. You can speak Elvish after all."

Torio gasped at the overwhelming sensation that shot through her as Sand's mouth closed over her ear. "Oh no," she said breathlessly, trying to keep her knees from trembling. "This is just fine."

Sand caught her eyes in the mirror. "Don't think for a moment, Torio, dear - that I prefer this over what you really look like." He pulled her closer. "It's your mind I'm after, anyway."

She laughed, turning from the mirror in his arms to look up at him. "My mind, is it? Llie shaesi byr deshu amin tol ei ennamar toleraer eindrai arta tanya rath, bodaes." _You weren't after my mind a few minutes ago on that bed, viper._

Sand smiled when he heard her gasping at his touch on her ear. _Well - this might work out quite nicely... _"Air shar os tol sar thos aelasaer amin, tia paes...eil air shor shi os tol sar caer amin." _It was your mind that first ensnared me, my dear...and it will be your mind that keeps me. _He held her at arms length, his eyes studying her body critically. _Not too bad for a first try..._He wondered briefly, snickering quietly, if he could give her bigger breasts...

Torio marveled at how her voice sounded slightly lighter, pitched higher and almost musical. She would have to be careful with what she said, but..._perhaps this was going to work_. "So what shall you introduce me as? They will question why you suddenly have a strange Elven woman on your arm, you know." She quirked an eyebrow wryly.

"We need to come up with a good story, one that is believable, credible and most importantly, impossible to trace should they not believe us. So, Ambassador, I believe we are right in our element here - the both of us."

"Evereska," she said automatically. "They're still rather stricken from the siege; if anyone thought to trace back an identity...which, ironically, would probably be something only you would attempt when faced with a stranger in this Keep...then I'm fairly certain the elves not knowing who I am would be of little consequence." She stared at some point over his head, running a finger across her lips thoughtfully.

"Some of the elves from the war are too...injured, in the head, to do naught but wander the countryside aimlessly; it was a poor sight the last I visited, and probably the only reason why they allowed Garius access to the city. Probably in the hopes of having a mage of his considerable power give them aid." She glanced at Sand, smirking. "As it stands, they wouldn't be bothered trying to track down an Elven woman's identity, much less at the bequest of some obscure, human Keep on the Sword Coast."

"Evereska. Perfect." He nodded approvingly, running his hands up and down her arms. "Pity you didn't bring that wine you love so dearly... There's enough chaos here that I'm certain that it won't be an issue." He stood back. "If you are...pleased...with your new form, then I shall make it permanent." _Permanency_ spells always exhausted him. He placed one hand on her chest, and with the other, he scripted out invisible glyphs while reciting a spell. There was a quick flash that jumped from his hand to her chest. He held her shoulders to steady himself, the room spinning slightly.

She cocked her head at him curiously, still finding it strange to have hair slithering and shifting over her skin like some live thing. "Are there any personas I can take on from your past, perhaps?" She couldn't keep her mouth from curling into a wide grin. "Women that you might have known?"

Sand grinned at her. "I have no real woman from my past. None that Duncan or any of the others would know about. You can be whoever you wish to be. An old flame? Somebody I met while running my shop in Neverwinter? Somebody from Neverwinter - then I can say that you used the Teleportation Circle to get here and to leave..."

Torio nodded almost imperceptibly. "Someone you met in Neverwinter...originally from Everseka? It should work." She snorted. "Not that anyone would really care, regardless, with the libations I hear being planned..."

He looked at her, softly, "And I do have one last thing for you...but it's in my chambers..."

Her head buzzed slightly from the after effect of the spell, and she slipped her arms around his waist, tilting her head back slightly to look up at him...how strange is this? She'd never been lower than eye level to him before. "Should I wait here for you, then, Bodaes?" She smirked. "Or are you tempted to drag me invisible and naked through the Keep once again?"

Sand held her close, stroking her long hair, inhaling. Hmmm - she still smelled the same (_books and candlewax_). He nuzzled her playfully, "Why don't you get dressed in something somebody hasn't seen you in today and we'll try out your new body. You'll need a name too..." He went back to his scattered clothes and began getting dressed quickly and slipped the ariik gem in his pocket. He realized his hair was an absolute mess and he ran his fingers through quickly, trying to flatten it.

She watched him for a moment, her face amused as he fussed with his hair. Turning, she walked to her bureau and pulled out a nondescript grey dress, raising her arms and letting it drop down over her body. She smoothed it over her new form, frowning slightly at how the skirt dragged against the ground, and slipped her heeled shoes onto her feet.

She ran her fingers through her hair, glancing in the mirror, still unused to her new appearance. "A name...hmmm." Her eyes fell on the books stacked on her desk; the edge of the tome of Elvish poetry could be seen poking out from where it leaned against one of the stacks. "Firimar? Bhen?" _Mortal? Human? _ Her face softened almost unnoticeably. "Kelia?" _Guilty?_

Sand watched her get dressed. "Kelia." He reached out and touched her cheek tenderly. So was she feeling guilty over what she did at Ember? Could a woman like her ever _truly_ feel guilty? "Hmm. I like it. Kelia." He let the name roll off his tongue. He took her arm gallantly and said dramatically and theatrically, "Kelia! Melamin, mela en' coiamin, amin mela lle!" _My love, love of my life, I love you!_ His blue eyes widened imperceptibly as the last three words slipped out but he tightened his grip on her arm, deciding to play through. "Think they'll believe that?"

She glanced up at him furtively, a wash of shocked heat, pleasure and panic, spreading across her skin. He was joking, he had to be. Sand would never...he didn't...

_Right?_

She followed along, merely easing her arm against his, curving her hip and leaning against his body coquettishly. "You were able to wrap that entire courtroom in Neverwinter around your finger," she said wryly. "If anyone could convince them of anything, it'd be you." She brushed her hair absently, using one of his most-loved phrases as her own. "With my_considerable_talents aiding you, of course."

Sand smirked when he heard her emphasis of the word _considerable,_ similar to the way he knew he said it. He led her to her locked door, unlocking it and poking his head out cautiously. Coast was clear...he turned to her, and kissed her firmly, pulling her to him. "All right, let us be off, Kelia."

He walked quickly but casually towards his room, paying no attention to any of the guards posted along the way. He could feel Torio pressed against him as he walked, her heels clicking on the stone floor. He fought the grin that wanted to spread across his face - walking arm in arm with Torio in front of everybody!

Torio kept her chin up at a haughty angle, her eyes flicking to the guards as they passed them...but none of them so much as glanced their way; they recognized Sand and that was enough for them. She was, in a handbreadth of time, relieved at once that they took no notice of the strange new elf, while at the same moment inwardly curled a lip at the lackadaisical security.

_I suppose one attack on the Keep wasn't enough..._

_Ah, don't complain of good fortune, Torio girl..._

She felt slightly giddy by the time they made it to Sand's door, languidly hanging on to his arm in front of everyone as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "There are days when I am immensely glad you never picked the path of the warrior, dear Sand," she purred, watching as he pulled the door open to his own room.

Sand laughed, "A warrior? And what would I wield? The verbal rapier? Being a warrior would mean I could no longer hide behind the paladin." He closed the door behind them, locking it. He walked over to his desk, where three simple boxes sat and he handed the topmost one to her. "A...small gift. Nothing in comparison to what you gave me but..."

Torio gave him a bemused look. "I might be offended if you offered me an _ariik_stone,_Bodaes_," she said. "Considering the...effects it would have on my state of...well, _living_." She set the box on Sand's bed and gently pried the lid off the top, pulling back the few pieces of thin, tissue-like parchment...

Silk brushed against her palm. She curled her fingers under the folds and gently pulled the dress free of the box, staring at it for a moment. She glanced at Sand...he was watching her, and she felt her cheeks flush in pleased embarrassment. Feeling slightly ridiculous, but completely unable to help herself, she bent forward and brushed her cheek along the fabric, sighing in pleased satisfaction.

She caught Sand's eye again and her lips curled deviously, the smile filling her eyes. "Atonement for the ripped blouse, Sand?" She gently let the gown fall back against the bed and walked to him, sliding her arms around his neck. "Ta naa vanima." _ It is beautiful._ She kissed him firmly.

He returned the kiss, pulling her slim Elven body close, his hands running through her long black hair. "Torio." He hugged her, whispering, "Would it be out of decorum to ask to see you in the dress now? Or would the lady like to make a grand entrance?"

She chuckled. "_Dear_Sand...have I ever followed the dictates of decorum?" She was rather eager to put it on, to feel the fabric sliding over her body...she slid out of his arms and turned, trying not to move too quickly to the bed. Bunching her dress in her hands, she pulled it up over her body and off of her arms, dropping it carefully onto the bed next to the box. Shaking out the folds of the gown, she carefully and slowly stepped into it, sighing in delight as the silk brushed against her skin. Her fingers tied the laces at the back slowly and dexterously and she glanced down at herself, smirking slightly. _This was not exactly a garment an Elven lady of any repute would be caught dead in..._she bent her knee slightly, watching the slit in the skirt shift aside and show a rather long stretch of leg.

She tied off the ribbon at the back of her dress and turned, facing Sand. Clutching the skirt daintily in her fingers, she curtsied languidly, dipping low with a flourish. "What do you think?"

Sand stood, leaning against his desk, watching her undress, feeling pangs of desire at seeing her naked form again. But her nude skin was soon covered (albeit barely) by the black dress.

_Oh my._

Sand exhaled the breath he had been holding as she turned to face him. He watched her curtsy coyly. "You look..." He gulped. "Lle naa vanima." _You are beautiful_. He stared into her eyes; _her_ eyes - strangely pleased that for a day, even an evening, they would be able to have a normal relationship together. His eyes traveled from the dangerously plunging neckline down to the slit in the skirt that revealed her long, slender legs... "I'm going to have to fight the men off of you tonight." He laughed.

Torio flushed, uncharacteristically pleased at his words and the frank appraisal in his eyes. "Oh come now," she purred, smiling in response to his laughter. "What are a few stray admirers against thirty or so _Fireballs_?" Straightening, she walked towards him, her eyes falling on the boxes sitting on the desk.

"What are those,_Bodaes_?" She fingered his sleeve playfully, looking at him under her lashes; the new face and form that she hid behind made it easier, somehow, to speak a little lighter around him. "More tricks of transformation up your sleeve?"

Sand brushed his lips against hers, narrowing his eyes in amusement, "You are free to enjoy yourself tonight with all the stray admirers you wish. I'll be saving my spells for later. Maybe some _Invisibility_ spells..." His eyes were laughing. He loved the flirtatious way she was toying with his sleeve. He turned to the boxes on his desk. "I suppose you could say I have a few other tricks - mostly for me however..."

"Oh, _do_tell," She said, her curiosity getting the better of her. "Come now, would you leave a wilting elf maid hanging on the tip of your tongue like that?" _Actually..._"Show me." She stepped back from him, her hands on her hips, eyeing him expectantly and poorly suppressing the grin twitching across her features.

Good gods, what _was_she, some flitting adolescent unable to control herself?

_At the moment, Torio, you seem to be a rather unknown and obscure young Elven maid who is unable to control herself._

Well. And she planned to enjoy it.

Sand snorted. "A wilting elf maid? You? I'm sorry my dear ...Kelia... no magic in the world will be able to hide your sharp mouth." His hands touched the two boxes and he looked back at her. "Very well. But...turn around. No peeking."

Torio arched one slender eyebrow at him sardonically, but did as she was asked; she turned and faced the far wall, listening as she began hearing shuffling and shifting noises; the sound of the boxes being opened, and what suspiciously sounded like a robe being removed.

Nonchalantly, she turned her head, trying to catch a glimpse of the undressing elf from the corner of her eye...

Sand opened the boxes and pulled out the burgundy shirt and the leather belt. He lay the cloak carefully over the back of chair. He glanced over his shoulder, at Torio who was staring...somewhat obediently away from him. He walked over to his wardrobe and rummaged through until he found his formal black leggings, and high boots. Stripping quickly, he pulled the leggings on and the shirt, buttoning it up. He tied the belt around his waist and then added his own component belt over top. He always felt somewhat...exposed without his spell reagents. He pulled on the boots, draped the cloak over his arm, shook out his hair...

"Well?"

Torio stopped in mid-turn as she moved to take a look at Sand fully. The robe was gone, and what replaced it followed the contours of Sand's lean body to absolute distraction. The belt cinched the tunic into his narrow waist, drawing her eyes downward to where the leggings hugged his lean thighs, disappearing into high black boots. The entire sensual line of his body was there for the whole world to see, and his hair was still loose, falling gracefully around his face as he looked at her expectantly.

She swallowed hard, her eyes wide. "You...it looks...Amin naa kyl nae utu ta poroler nae ma eileirdaesi eile sylol." _I am going to find it difficult to look anywhere else tonight_. She stared at him unabashedly, her skin prickling heatedly at the mere sight of him.

Sand felt a little ridiculous to be so pleased by her approval, blushing and replying, "Well I suppose in this case flattery will definitely get you somewhere, my dear girl." But he smiled broadly at her before returning her curtsy with a deep bow, greeting her formally. "Oio naa elealla alasse'." _Ever is thy sight a joy. _He lifted his eyes to her from his bow and said lowly, "Amin shor olia cali aer thys lle sylol." _I will only have eyes for you tonight. _

He walked towards her, picking up the stole from the box and wrapped it around her svelte shoulders. "I apologize but I didn't get you any jewelry...but..." He lifted her wrist, where there had once been the enchanted silver band, his _Polymorph_ spell had turned it into a delicate Elven bracelet, two snakes intertwined among some leaves. He smiled slightly at the symbolism. "I believe I owe you a few spells. And let's see if we can't make it Permanent?"

Torio's eyes fell on the bracelet...most of the time it hummed gently against her skin, slightly warm and prickling, always a reminder in the back of her mind, no matter what she might be doing, of the circumstances that had brought her here. But she realized, with something of a shock, that she had forgotten almost completely about it in the last few hours. She hadn't felt like a prisoner at all.

She watched thoughtfully as Sand took her wrist in his hands, his skin seeming comparatively warm to how it normally felt. She surreptitiously ran a hand across his chest, stroking the fabric of his tunic and subsequently his body underneath it, still marveling at how delectable he looked. "Is it reasonable to place a permanency on the dampening spell? You seemed drained, _Bodaes_, the last time you cast it..." Her voice was wry. That was an understatement; he had practically passed out on her bed. "I wouldn't want you to..." _Hurt yourself? _She caught the words in her throat before they escaped, feeling her cheeks flushing again.

_Torio Claven does not blush!_

Torio stared down at the bracelet on her arm, falling silent as the heat spread through her moon Elven face. _Apparently Kelia does._

His skin crawled pleasurably when she ran her hands over his chest. "Mmm. I have to attempt it at the very least. Otherwise you'd only be able to attend the party for a quarter of an hour or so before we would have to run back inside and dampen it again." He ran his hands through his loose hair. "It _is_ draining but we don't have much of a choice in this matter." He smiled wryly at her. "It just means I won't be dancing for hours on end - which - I hadn't planned on doing in any case." Sand took her hands and led her back to the bed, pulling out from one of his many pouches the same flawed alexandrite gem from before and placed it in front of Torio.

Sand took a deep breath, looking deep into her eyes for a moment. "Ready?" He began the familiar recitation for the _Reaving Dispel _spell, his hands moving quickly but precisely in the air. He knew he wouldn't have to transfer the Torture spell (which by now he suspected was a cleverly disguised _Symbol of Pain _glyph) but he'd do it anyway. He went through all this trouble so she could enjoy herself tonight; he might as well go all the way. There was a shimmer in the air and suddenly Sand felt the force of the Torture spell settle firmly on his chest. _Oh gods, it was heavy. _ He exhaled tiredly, rubbing his eyes. "Well...one spell done."

He gripped her wrist with the bracelet firmly. "Pray to Mystra this works..." He closed his eyes and began the _Permanency_ incantation. The research he had done seemed to indicate this would work. He felt, rather than saw, the flash of magical light emanating from his hands and suddenly he felt as if he had been force-marched for days. _But it meant the spell had worked!_ Sand opened his eyes, "It worked! It actually worked!" He flopped onto the mattress. "Oh gods, I'm exhausted." But he laughed. "It worked though!"

Torio nearly staggered as the _Permanency_spell flashed between them, settling the bracelet's enchantments, the weight lifting off of her so quickly that she felt like she had been tugged upwards and off her feet. She blinked, slightly disoriented, and watched dazed for a moment as Sand fell backwards onto the bed, laughing.

She shook her head a bit to clear it, and smirked at him, her voice amused. "For an all powerful wizard, you sound as if you weren't sure you'd be successful," she said, her voice sharply clipped. She moved to where he lay on the bed and bent over him, holding herself up with her hands on the mattress. She eyed him for a moment, studying his face; while she knew that half the reason Sand exhausted himself with these spells was to see if he _could_cast them, she nevertheless murmured, "Thank you," and kissed him lightly.

Sand reached around her head and pulled her down to him, kissing her more forcefully. "These spells are always tricky - you change one small thing and it throws the whole thing off. So while you may consider me an all powerful wizard - " He kissed her again. "There is always chance involved, as much as both you and I would rather not hear it."

He closed his eyes. "I wonder if Nasher has arrived yet." He yawned. "I'm sorry my dear 'Kelia', but I'm afraid I need a bit of a nap. Just wake me when the festivities are about ready to start. Feel free to read or...something..." He waved his hands vaguely around his room.

Torio nuzzled him slightly before pulling away, watching for a moment...he quickly fell asleep, his breath falling into a deep, steady rhythm.

She glanced around his room.

_Well, as one Luskan to another..._

She stood, eyeing the contents of the room around her curiously; her fingers ran along the edge of his desk as she walked up to it. She'd had a moment to shuffle through it when she had been in here during the battle earlier, looking healing potions and nothing else. Now, however...

She glanced at Sand's sleeping form, before pulling on the drawers, sliding them open...

A sheaf of papers lay scattered in the third drawer down, elegant, scrawls of writing smattered across the pages. Torio picked them up, and, glancing at Sand's sleeping form, spread them out over the desk, eyeing their contents.

_"...not a particular threat, but she tends to demand outrageous compensation for every little act required of her, and small items from everyone's rooms have started to go missing..."_

_"...seems to be caught between wallowing in stoic desperation and sneaking into the room of Ammon Jerro's granddaughter...no suicidal tendencies have surface yet..."_

_"...both of them seem to take up the mantle of leadership somewhat grudgingly, although the young bard seems to have a tremendous amount of consideration towards the welfare of the new Greycloak soldiers..."_

_"...disturbing. Utterly unstable. Has a penchant for complex carbohydrates, in the form of shortbread cookies. Also, summons demons on a regular basis..."_

_"...surly, uncooperative, and under suspicion of plotting to murder the gnome. Have nothing solid, yet, but will find out the truth soon enough...most likely in time to catch him in the act, but, sadly, too late to save the poor gnome's life..."_

Torio snickered at the last one. She eased into Sand's chair, bending over the papers..._well, he did say find something to read_...and started pouring over them, eyebrows inching upwards as she read some of the finer details of the lives of practically everyone in the Keep; apparently many of the denizens hopped between bedrooms, filched the silverware, caused minor explosions in the basement, and baked batches of cookies in their spare time. After reading for a stretch of time, her eyes fell on one particular passage that nearly made her well manicured fingers punch through the parchment from clutching it spastically.

_"...still can't trust her completely, but seems to have understood the importance of the Keep and its mission...rest assured she is firmly under heel and won't cause any problems. Will try to keep a close eye on her and report any suspicious changes in her demeanor..."_

Sand slept deeply, the day of spell casting and lovemaking wearing him out. It was a dreamless sleep but as Sand rolled over, he rolled on top of the box that formerly held Torio's dress that had been left on his bed. His eyes opened irritably and he yawned again. His eyes scanned the room for Torio...they fell on her silent Elven form at his desk, reading through a stack of papers...

_Oh my._

He sat up quickly. "Find anything interesting?"

Torio's slanted grey eyes flicked to Sand, their look coldly amused and rather calculating. "I might have," she said non-committedly. She was mildly irritated that Sand was reporting on _her_, as well...but it made sense, in the grand scheme of things. Nasher would need to know the goings on of a Keep that stood as the final bastion of light against the darkness, as the bards put it. _And it's something you would do yourself, if anyone asked you to._

But..._firmly under heel?_ Was this his motivation for all this bed hopping? She glanced down at the exquisite dress that clung to her body. _Maybe not. _ Her voice was facetious as she muttered, "It seems we have a spy in our midst...and not just me." She held up one sheet of paper and one arched eyebrow at him, sitting back in his chair.

Sand slid off his bed and approached her cautiously, watching her face carefully. He knew she didn't have her poisons or her daggers on her but that still didn't exclude any attempts to kill him with her lovely bare hands, though he suspected death by Torio Claven would be immeasurably more pleasant than death by Shadow Reaver.

"Hmm yes well... " He picked up the piece of paper she held aloft, his eyes reading the familiar words. He looked at her gray eyes. "But since there is some measure of trust between us, I feel I can share this with you though I'm certain your bright mind has already figured it out. I used to occasionally supplement my trade by supplying information to Lord Nasher concerning goings-on in the Docks. Naturally, when the Knight-Captain was put in charge of the Keep, my duties extended to here."

He picked up the sheaf of parchment papers and began flipping through them. "I couldn't let you have all the espionage fun, my dear girl. But you've found me out - now how to keep you silent?" He pressed his mouth to hers, slipping his tongue inside to stroke her own.

"Mmmm," Torio murmured low in her throat as Sand kissed her. "You little viper...keeping me silent shan't be too hard, as you well know. Who am I going to tell? The gnome?" She snorted.

Sand kneeled before her. "And please don't take the words I _write_about you too seriously; it is as much for _my_ protection as it is _yours_but it is in no way indicative of how I _think_about you. The suspicion would be far too great if I suddenly had nothing but kind words for the Luskan ambassador."

She glanced at him coyly, her eyes hooded by long lashes. "Really, now?" she said, easing forward in her chair; her legs slid to either side him him, and she languidly rested her arms on his shoulders. "Kind words is it? I'm curious to know what a report of that nature would entail..." She bent forward and nuzzled his neck, her mouth opening against the underside of his throat.

Sand wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close. He tilted his throat back and closed his eyes. "Well the official report would say something like...Hmm..._Oh gods Torio..._" as her mouth drifted over his skin. "Well it wouldn't say that..." He sighed then tried to regain some measure of coherency.

"It would say - 'Luskan ambassador has been forthcoming with information without prompting. Has the Keep and its inhabitants in her considerations despite her cool exterior. Should be extended small courtesies to encourage continued good behavior.'"

He smiled, his eyes glittering, "My own personal report would say..." Sand reached up and ran his hands through her hair. "Luskan ambassador is devastatingly beautiful and her intellect is rivaled by no one. Has a certain moon elf in her considerations even at the risk of her life. Should be extended all the pleasures of the flesh to encourage continued good company in bed." He chuckled.

Torio's head tilted back slightly as his fingers drew through her hair, and she flushed at his words. Sand normally let fly with words like_harpy, harlot, snake, liar, Luskan devil_...all of which were true, of course, but her spine practically tingled with the rare compliments. "'All the pleasures of the flesh', is it?" She kissed him, plying his lips apart with her tongue, her arms crossing behind his head and pulling his face against hers.

She murmured into his mouth after a long moment, "And I suppose this moon elf who has my consideration is willing to extend such courtesies to me?" She smiled slyly. "A good thing you have the _ariik_to aid you...they might become suspicious at your sudden sleep-deprived and carnally exhausted state..."

"You know I have risked much with you and to be with you, my dear Torio." He returned the kiss and realized that he was going to have a very difficult time tonight keeping his body away from hers. He was sure the others would have a few smart comments for him. "And I see now, you Luskan succubus, that your acquisition of the ariik gem was fuelled entirely by your insatiable lust." He ran his hands up her smooth legs, the silken fabric of the dress no comparison to her skin. "We are never going to get to the party at this rate..." He pulled away from her. "Do you need more time to get ready?"

She let out a pleasurable sigh at his hands running along her legs...dear gods, he was right, she could already feel her skin heating beneath his touch, and her thoughts were already centering around one particular thing... _It's going to be a long night._

She stood, stretching languidly, purposefully brushing her leg against Sand's still kneeling body as she moved from the chair and shook out her long hair. "I believe I'm adequately prepared for a night of carousing...wouldn't you agree?" She curtsied again to Sand, her voice laughing. "Kelia is ready if you are, dear wizard."

Sand took her arm and led her to his mirror, posing for a moment in front of it. Her body fit snugly against his in a pleasing manner. With her heels now, she was his height and he could look into her eyes. "Ready for the greatest charade in the Keep's history? I think so, my dear Kelia of Neverwinter, formerly of Evereska. The pretty girl who came to my shop to buy a pretty bracelet and instead ended up with me."

The dinner crowd quieted as the wizard and the lovely Elven woman on his arm appeared before them. Their eyes were a multitude of things; curious, shocked, pleased, disapproving, taking in Torio's revealing gown, Sand's form-fitted trousers and the overall exotic mystique of their presence. The talk began again, murmuring with an excited buzz.

Sand and Torio glanced at each other, and descended into the fray.


	8. Chapter 8

Special thanks to Tiff and Blue for coming in and playing two additional characters.

**Part VIII: A verbis ad verbera**

Sand had always known that introducing an unfamiliar Elven woman on his arm was going to raise eyebrows and suspicions but he hadn't realized just how much. The minute they had entered the throng of people, curious guests had besieged them from all sides, asking questions, poking, prodding… Even the sneering ranger had deemed them worthy enough to saunter over and openly rake his gaze up and down her silk-clad body before making a snide remark. "Who are you then? The entertainment?"

Torio had answered smoothly enough, not becoming riled up and Bishop had gone on to more entertaining targets, but she had said lowly to him, as they watched the ranger's disappear through the crowds, "By Deneir...I could be polymorphed into a one-legged bugbear and someone would still compare me to a harlot." Sand laughed but the sound was cut short when he noticed Lord Nasher staring at him with an unhidden interest. The human king seemed to be studying him and Sand gave a quick bow; Nasher returned the gesture with a nod and then turned to his assistant, whispering something. A strange foreboding feeling crawled up his spine but he shook it off, pressing a kiss to the top of her head while leading her to their seats for the meal. What could Nasher possibly want with him?

* * *

It had been an unexpected twist to the evening.

The sound of shouting, crashing furniture, had awoken them. She had huddled down into Sand's bed as the elf had leapt from beneath the blankets (rather awkwardly, she always thought leaping heroes were supposed to land lightly on their feet; even with his moon Elven liquid grace, Sand stumbled straight into the wardrobe and cursed rather colorfully.) and had dressed quickly, pressing a swift kiss somewhere randomly on her face before stealing from the room.

She had listened to the commotion, the unmistakable sound of a fight, and then a short, sharp scream followed by excited, hushed conversation. The cacophony of noise was trickling down the hall to her left...Nevalle's room, or Casavir's, or possibly Qara's, they were all down that way. She had slipped naked from the bed and pressed her ear against the door; the mumbled voices were too far away for her to catch any words...she opened the door a crack...

The sound of heavily booted feet echoed throughout the hallway, and she shrank back into the darkness of the room, peering through the sliver of light between door and frame. A pair of guards were dragging a semi-conscious woman down the hall...from her viewpoint she could only see the girl's chin, from how her head was lolled back, and her hands flapping, fighting weakly against the guards' grip on her arms. _Her hand..._

That ring looked awfully familiar...a circle of sharp, pointed metal, meant to represent daggers pointed outward...

When Sand returned, Torio was standing by the bed. "Ah, dear girl, I didn't mean to wake you. Just random assassins, nothing out of the ordinary."

Torio arched a brow at him wryly, before blinking and yawning dramatically. "Assassins? And who was the lucky target this time?" She ran a hand through her hair, sitting down on the bed. "I saw the guards hauling her off..." Her voice lowered, as if someone might hear them through the walls. "She was wearing one of Garius' rings."

Sand pulled Torio to the bed. "They were after Nevalle. And Nasher as well, I think; somehow I don't think it coincidence that they pick a night to strike where both His Lordship and his second in command are staying at the Keep." He pondered her words. "Garius... the same ring you used to wear? We'll have to notify Nevalle of that in the morning." He found himself rubbing her fingers absentmindedly. He looked at her. "Did your ring have the poison too? She tried to kill herself with a poison."

Torio settled onto the bed, stretching her fingers out absently as Sand rubbed them. "Poison? No, I never had poison." She paused for a moment. "Ah...that is, not in a ring, anyway." She frowned thoughtfully, settling back onto the bed. "Interesting...a precaution, I suspect. I assume they'll question her?"

Sand chuckled. "She's being lead to the stockades for the night. I'd assume they'll be questioning her soon." He tugged on her arm, pulling her under the covers. "There's nothing else we can do for now, in any case. We will have to wait until morning."

Torio nuzzled close to Sand and sighed, shutting her eyes. "A most excellent plan, Counselor," she murmured sleepily, and quickly dozed off.

* * *

The torches were burning lowly along the Keep's wall as Sand crept along quietly. The guards were fairly used to his midnight wanderings by now and Sand tried to walk as casually as possible to not raise any suspicion. He turned towards the West Wing of the Keep, the construction just beginning to close up the giant hole in the wall.

As Nevalle had said, the guards normally posted there that night were absent. Sand slipped through the opening and made his way carefully across the rubble. He pressed himself against the far wall, hiding as best he could among the shadows and waited for the Knight to arrive. It had been a few days sine the assassination attempt; Sand had no doubt what Nevalle wanted to talk to him about.

Torio padded silently down the hallways; she had slipped on her single pair of soft cloth slippers under her dress (handy for those impromptu midnight raids of Hosttower Mages' chambers) and she darted through the West Wing opening, her skirts hiked clear to her knees to keep them from rustling across the floor.

There didn't seem to be anyone there at the moment. She brushed her skirts flat, wondering uneasily why Nevalle had told her to meet him here tonight...

Nevalle had sent the guards that normally guarded the West Wing to their quarters for a bit of relaxation. It was easier to explain to Kana than to explain why he, Torio, and Sand met secretly in that section. He could hear Torio slightly ahead of him, and knowing Sand, he was already there.

Sand saw Torio slip into the opening quietly. He hissed, quietly, "_Helkaer_. I'm here. I'm sorry but I have to do this..." He dispelled the Torture spell from his person, feeling the immediate lift and lightness in his chest, and sent it back to her. "Just in case. We don't need to raise any suspicions."

Torio's body flinched back a step as the spell shot back to her body, but before she could open her mouth, she heard a scrape against stone behind her, and turned.

Nevalle was there. She regained her composure, smoothing down her hair, and said quietly, "A rather inconspicuous meeting place you chose, your Grace. To what do I...that is, _we_..." she glanced into the shadows to where Sand's voice had come from, "...owe this pleasure?"

Sand stepped out of the darkened corner and approached Nevalle, keeping his posture thoroughly unwelcoming towards Torio. "Yes my liege - it_is_ a little late for tea, isn't it?"

Nevalle looked between the two. "Your latest report, Torio, I wish to hear it. And don't worry about Sand, he's simply here to ensure I get the truth."

Sand's stomach turned. At the time, before Torio had come to the Keep, Sand had offered to be on hand for interrogations. Things were different now. Very different.

Torio's heart thumped nervously. _This is unprecedented...do they think I'm lying?_ "Very well," She said coolly. "Although if you gave me until tomorrow I would write this down for you." She had a habit for pacing, and so she did so as she spoke.

"My contacts have informed me that the new ambassador, Natale, has been allowed access to a certain area of the Hosttower's archives that is normally blocked from any but the High Mages themselves. During any other time this would merely seem an oddity in itself, but she has shown...extensive interest in your Knight Captains, if what I've heard is correct." She frowned thoughtfully. "I wouldn't be surprised if you heard from her in the coming weeks. I would advise you all to be wary of her motives." She glanced at Nevalle and smirked. "But I hardly think I need to remind you of that."

"She has a man with her, as well, that she's recruited to her cause; a Luskan mercenary that goes by the name of Jalboun of the Two Blades. Quite a ruthless fighter and competent enough that I would suggest trying to win him over to our cause, if you or anyone else is given the opportunity."

Sand watched her pacing form, considering his words very carefully. "I know of Jalboun. His loyalty is easily bought by coin and if he is as Luskan as they say - he will turn for the higher dollar no problems. This...Natale...however - that is a new name. But the fact that she is already granted access to the archives indicates either she is in league with somebody high up in the hierarchy or Luskan is moving on some plot."

Nevalle listened as Torio had begun to give her report. Natale he'd heard of. Even Nasher was leery of the woman. "I'll pass it along to the others, and see what we can do about Jalboun."

Torio ran a hand through her hair, attempting to keep her cool; but Nevalle sometimes tested her patience to its limits. "And that's it? What about my report couldn't wait until tomorrow morning, your Grace? And what about it was so important that you needed to hear it from me. And _here _of all places?" She swept an arm wide to indicate their derelict surroundings.

She turned back to the knight, her eyes narrowed. "I am willing to aid you and your Shard-bearer, Sir Nevalle, but that does not mean I will let you _toy_with me, prisoner or no."

Nevalle eyed her coolly. Too many things had happened in the last few days that had put him on edge. The quiet, but ever alert Knight had his own problems to deal with, that he didn't need Torio adding to them. But then again, she was always one of them. As were several others that cropped up when he returned to Neverwinter a few days ago. As Torio began to snap at him about the report, and lack of his response, and the location, Nevalle became irritated.

"Torio, I suggest you hold that sharp tongue of yours before you find yourself wishing you had," he snapped. "Your report couldn't wait because I deemed it so. I chose here for the simple fact that the guards and other denizens of the keep will not hear you scream. I want to know how many Luskans have infiltrated this Keep. And I want to know who they are."

He eyed her coldly. "You should be praising the ground the Knight Captains walk on, not trying to regain the power you lost when you chose the wrong side of this war and were captured for it. The Knight Captains spared your life and this is how you repay them? By letting Luskan spies and assassins infiltrate their halls?"

Sand's blue eyes widened at Nevalle's accusations. "My liege...those are very serious accusations. Now I understand, with the attempt on your and Lord Nasher's lives..." He looked between Torio and Nevalle. _Could she have?_ Since he had removed his own personal enchantment on the bracelet, there was no way for him to force her to tell the truth.

_"...will not hear you scream..."_

Short of the Torture spell..._Oh gods..._

"Torio..." He took a hesitant step towards her. "What have you been up to?"

Torio backed up a step, both as Nevalle's voice snapped sharper than a whip, and as Sand moved towards her. "Your Grace, I can assure you, there was_ no way _that I could have possibly foreseen the assassination attempts. Being somewhat...confined to this keep, I have to rely on the information that is fed in to me from my contacts..." her voice was rising in pitch as she spoke.

_He wouldn't..._

...would he?

The bracelet hung heavy and hot and patient against her wrist.

"In any case, I have done my _utmost_to assure the safety of this Keep. It's in my best interests, is it not? I can't run anywhere, that is for certain." Her throat felt suddenly dry. "To think that I somehow had something to do with the assassination attempt is ludicrous..."

At this point, Nevalle wouldn't put anything past himself. Too much had built up to this moment. The normally unshakeable Knight's exterior was beginning to crack. "Don't try and put blame on someone else Torio. How would anyone know exactly where to find me and Lord Nasher, if someone did not tell them? Or are you telling me that there are indeed Luskans within the walls of this Keep? One way or another I will find them. I suggest you cooperate..." He left the rest of the comment hanging. His voice was still sharp with a tinge of anger.

"Sir Nevalle," she said firmly, kicking some steel back into her voice. "I can _assure_you there are no other spies within these walls besides the ones you already know about. I have not let Luskan infiltrate this Keep; I can't even begin to fathom how I'd accomplish such a thing!" Her voice lowered, becoming soothing, almost kind. "I understand you've had a...tumultuous few days. Perhaps we can discuss this later after you've rested? You do not seem yourself."

Sand quickly stepped between the two. "Sir Nevalle - what she says does make sense. Any danger to the Keep and she is trapped here. Please...let us not be too hasty..." He wanted, desperately, to give Torio a reassuring look but he didn't trust himself at the moment not to give themselves away.

The more she tried to tell him that Luskan hasn't infiltrated the Keep, the more Nevalle refused to believe her. How else would they know exactly where his room was? How else would they have known Lord Nasher was spending the night at Crossroad Keep instead of heading back to Castle Never immediately? "And just how would you know what these last few days have entailed? Spying on me now are we? And I don't need to rest."

He then turned on Sand as the wizard spoke up. "All the more reason for her to allow Luskan spies to infiltrate the Keep, Sand. She'd be the only one of us to be left alone in an attack."

Torio was beginning to become exasperated. "Sir Nevalle, the companions that went with you haven't stopped _talking_since they returned here. Everyone knows what you've been doing by now! You should be more worried about the alertness of your guards, and the mouths that tend to run free around this Keep, and not about me...who, incidentally, have done all I can since I came here to ensure the success of the Knight Captains." This wasn't going well at all. He didn't seem to be willing to listen to reason, and he had a strange light in his eye...

"I'd like to see you shut Neeshka and Grobnar up for a day or two. As for what you've done and not done, I see no change. The alertness of the guards, needs to be brought to Kana's attention, which I'm certain that she's seen to since the attack." He was still no closer to learning who had given the assassin the information needed to get into his room and try to kill him.

"Then tell me what you need to know, and I will get it for you," Torio said simply, her voice taking on a desperate edge. "How often must I tell you I had nothing to do with that..._assassin_, if such a clumsy creature could be called such?"

"Damn you woman." Nevalle rarely swore but the conversation was going nowhere fast for a man who was used to rapid results. "Have you listened to nothing I've said? No of course you haven't. You've been too busy goading me into believing you've got nothing to do with this."

"I _have_nothing to do with this, Sir Nevalle!" Torio felt like the proverbial ship being tossed against the rocks. Nothing she said seemed to be making any difference. She managed to school her voice and mannerism into completely, unshakable calm, and said coolly, "We don't seem to be getting anywhere; if you could please inform me as to what you require from me at this moment, exactly? Otherwise, I believe I shall retire to my room for the evening."

Nevalle rolled his eyes as Torio still didn't get what he was asking. "By the gods woman, for someone who's supposed to have such a sharp wit, your wit is lacking. I want to know who in the Keep is a Luskan spy and I want to know yesterday!" He snapped angrily.

"I've _told_you, Sir Nevalle, that not only do I know nothing about the assassins, but that there are _no other spies in this keep_." Torio's voice was steely; she was finding it hard not to clench her teeth. _How many times would she have to say it?_

"Then you are not much of a spymaster then, are you? If you do not know, then I suggest you find out, or your time remaining at the Keep will be extremely short." He said brusquely to Torio.

Sand's head bounced back and forth, between the woman he slept with but didn't trust and the man he somewhat trusted but didn't particularly liked. To help one was to raise the ire of the other; to not help one was to raise the ire of _that_person. He raised his voice, "Sir Nevalle - what can Torio do to prove herself to you?"

Torio bit back further comment when Sand spoke up, looking at Nevalle expectantly, her patience worn thin and her nerves ragged...

Nevalle eyed Sand. "Don't just stand there, wizard, do what I called you here for." There were any number of enchantments on the bracelet and Sand knew how to activate every one. At the moment he didn't care which one was activated, as long as it was one that would get his point across.

Sand's stomach twisted into knots. There was only one spell he could activate now - the Torture spell... and he didn't know if his fledgling relationship with Torio would be able to survive that. He clasped his hands firmly behind his back, hoping to look cool and detached, but his fingers were shaking slightly.

Torio felt her heart rate skyrocket as adrenaline shot through her body. She fought the nearly overwhelming urge to look at Sand; she wasn't sure what she'd see in his eyes, but she knew what would be in hers. _Think, girl! _ "I've already offered to find the information you require, Your Grace," she said calmly, although her voice sounded somewhat shaken in her ears. "And I have assured you to the best of my ability that I was not involved in the assassination plot. Whatever else you need, tell me, and I shall do my utmost to acquire it for you." She spoke fast, her tongue firing the words off almost as soon as they came to being in her head. "There is...there is no need to be...hasty..."

Casavir had not slept easily this night. His mind had been wandering in circles around everything that had been going on the last days, and he was becoming more worried than ever about the King of Shadows and how close he seemed to be coming. After a while he carefully extracted himself from the sheets, and dressed in tunic, leggings and boots. He sometimes walked rounds at night on his own initiative, inspecting the unfinished parts of the Keep where he feared attackers would easiest gain entry. Those self-induced patrols usually made him calm down and enable to go to sleep, and he hoped that tonight wouldn't be any different.

Soon, he found himself walking into the West Wing, not wearing any armor enabling him to walk quietly and undetected. This night, however, he found that things were different - there were loud voices coming from a room that was supposed to be empty, and he could see a stripe of light shining under the door. Silently he slipped closer, and breathed relieved when he could make out Sand and Nevalle's voices. Still, what were they doing there in the middle of the night?

Straightening his back, Casavir knocked raptly on the door before simply opening it, taking in the scene in front of him - Sand, Torio and Nevalle - all looking extraordinary exasperated.

"Excuse me for disturbing," Casavir said solemnly, "but I was patrolling the area and could not avoid hearing your voices. Might I enquire what you are doing here in a closed part of the Keep in the middle of night?"

Sand had never been happier to hear the paladin's deep rumbling voice from the end of the hall, buying him more time. "Just...discussing politics..." he said quickly, his voice nearly cracking.

Nevalle quickly interrupted, snapping irritably at Casavir. "Just ensuring that things are as they should be."

While Nevalle was distracted with Casavir, Sand quickly turned and gave Torio a long, desperate look. _I'm so sorry_ - he mouthed.

Torio stared at him for a moment. _What could they really do, honestly? _She nodded at him, imperceptibly.

Casavir raised an eyebrow, eyeing them all with disdain. Just before he interrupted, Torio had appeared to be begging and she looked rather... shaken, while Sand looked like he had been caught red-handed with his fingers in the cookie jar... his shaking voice not making him sound any more credible. And the Knight... Casavir had never seen the arrogant, stoic knight look this irate - he had practically exploded in Casavir's face as he came in. He found that he didn't believe any of them.

"Discussing politics?" he said with a pointed look at Sand. "In the middle of night, in an area where you are not supposed to be?"

Sand looked at the paladin and said as firmly as possible. "Yes. Politics. The state of affairs between Luskan and Neverwinter, as it were." Which wasn't a total lie...

Turning to Nevalle, Casavir continued calmly: "Things do not seem to be as they should, sir Knight. Nobody is supposed to be here, especially not at night. Besides, had things been in order, I assume there would have been no reason for all three of you to be shouting so loudly? Should I get the Knight Captainds to sort this out?"

Sand cut in. "There is really no need to bring the Knight Captains into this. They need whatever rest they can get. The three of us will be able to sort out our differences, I am certain, but I do apologize for the noise. We will be more considerate in the future..."

Torio hastily intervened, her voice slightly more under control, rippling off her tongue fervently. "My lords, please...we all seem to be a bit on edge, this evening. Sir Nevalle..." she turned to the knight,"...I will look in to what you have requested of me and see if I can't get you the information you seek as soon as possible. As you can see, I don't have it at the moment...but I _will_get it for you." She watched his face carefully.

"I see." Casavir's voice was neutral and serious as he regarded each of the three in turn. "So you are discussing politics regarding Luskan and Neverwinter. That is indeed an important matter - although it does seem to me that our Luskan lady here..." Casavir nodded to Torio before looking quite pointedly at Nevalle, "...was being treated rather badly...or even threatened. Although Torio Claven is convicted to the service of this Keep, do not forget that she _is_ under the protection of the Knight Captains, sir."

The paladin stepped closer, so he would be able to study each of their faces more in detail. "Although I have learned that you sometimes need to be ... less than pleasant when you work with spies, Sir Nevalle, I would appreciate that you keep in control when dealing with our Luskan lady. The Knight Captains would not appreciate threats against her."

"I know whose protection she's under, Casavir. I don't need to be reminded." The more the paladin interfered, the more irritated the Knight became. "As you so politely pointed out, it is occasionally part of my job to deal with spies in an unpleasant manner, and again I repeat, that I'm simply doing what I must to ensure the realm is safe. If that means threatening someone, then so be it. However I don't need you telling me how I should act!"

For the first time, Casavir turned directly to Torio. "Are you all right in this company, Miss Torio, or would you prefer that I escorted you back to your room? You do not seem comfortable."

Torio realized Nevalle wasn't going to calm down any time soon...and she wasn't about to become the target for whatever seemed to be under his skin. _And an opportunity is an opportunity, however unprecedented. _

She'd never been one to miss an opportunity.

Her eyes flicked to Sand's face momentarily before she coolly stepped forward, walking around Nevalle carefully until she had placed Casavir between her and the knight. "I would...appreciate the escort, Sir Casavir," she said silkily, her eyes demurely cast downward. "I would hate for any of us to come to...regret any of our actions tonight. Perhaps it's best if you help me to my room?"

_And keep your platemailed self between me and that Knight before he has me twisted into more knots than a sailor's rig..._

Sand exhaled lightly when Torio took Casavir up on his offer to escort her back to her room - though he suspected she'd eventually find her way to his room. Of course - that now left him alone with an irate Knight...

"Yes - I suppose we can finish our discussions another time..." He began inching very slowly towards the exit...

The changes in the atmosphere the moment he offered Torio his escort, did not pass Casavir by. It was obvious that he had interrupted an exchange that had been highly uncomfortable both for Torio and for Sand. He had never seen the wizard this close to cracking before - he had seemed as high strung as a preacher.

"Certainly, Miss Torio," he said smoothly and offered her his arm with a glance on the Knight who seemed more irritated than ever. Neither did he miss that Sand appeared to be trying to escape himself, inching towards the door. Nevalle's threats had obviously upset both him and Torio.

Casavir honestly didn't care about the Knight being angry - he had no taste for cruelty and threats... which he suspected had been on the Knight's mind tonight, given their odd time and place for a meeting. Turning towards the door with Torio on his arm, he cast a last glance at Nevalle: "Anything more, sir Knight?"

Nevalle hadn't missed the fact that none of them wanted to be in his presence, and if he were in his normal state of mind, he wouldn't want to be in his presence either. Knowing he would get nothing more from either of them, he sent them all away. "No! Be gone, all of you!" He yelled at them, his anger having reached its peak, yet there was nowhere for him to release it.

* * *

Torio involuntarily clenched at Casavir's arm, and then regained her composure, tugging at the paladin as she walked forward. "Let's leave the knight to his...ill mood, shall we?"

_Oh gods, that was close, close, close..._

Casavir heard Nevalle yelling after them at the top of his voice as he went out the door with Torio on his arm, but ignored the knight completely. "Miss Torio," he said quietly when they had entered the hall outside, "may I ask if the Knight harmed you? I suspect he has a rather cruel side to him..."

"No, he did not harm me," she said easily. "Not physically, per se..." She was small, and delicately boned, and she used it to her advantage; the paladin loomed over her by over a foot, and she slumped her shoulders slightly, making herself look weary and vulnerable compared to his bulk. "But I suspect he was not far from it. He seemed furious with me, and I couldn't understand why." She sighed heavily, but inwardly she was angry... and still somewhat frightened at Nevalle's sudden swing in temperament. Her heart thumped painfully in her ears as they rounded the last corner that lead to her hallway, and she realized rather starkly that Casavir had saved her and Sand from an unpleasant situation...without really realizing just how unpleasant it could have gotten.

She didn't like to think of the ramifications if Sand had actually had to torture her...and she owed Casavir more than just a simple thank you.

He probably wouldn't ask for anything, either. _Holy men. _ She politely slipped her arm from his once they reached her door. "I shall have to repay you for your help this evening, Sir Casavir. Sir Nevalle seemed...out of sorts, and he would not listen to either myself or...the wizard." She craned her neck to look up at him, her face serious. "Is there anything you require in return for your assistance?"

* * *

Once Sand saw that Torio was moving safely away with the paladin, closed his eyes briefly, thanking Mystra and Tyr for their good fortune. He was about to bolt but then hesitated, turning to the Knight. "Sir Nevalle - we have known each other for some years... perhaps we could discuss things?"

Nevalle was still angry over the whole thing. He wanted information, and needed it. However he wasn't getting any this day and probably never would now that Casavir had stepped in to interfere. He had sent them all away in a fit of rage, yet one set of footsteps wasn't departing. Instead they moved towards him. "And just what is there to discuss, Sand?" He asked his voice still carrying that hint of anger.

Sand thought about his words carefully. "I believe there is much to discuss - you never contact me like this directly unless there is something to discuss, especially in light of the confrontation. But, my liege, I remain ever in Neverwinter and your service." The sarcasm, though light, was ever present.

"As for the...girl... let me handle her. I suspect the threat of the bracelet is more effective than activating it; I will question her and I will return to you with answers shortly."

"Do what you want with her. She's obviously not as on top of things as she thinks she is." His voice may have lessened its angry edge, but it was still there, especially in the words he said and the way he said them.

Sand nodded stiffly at Nevalle, his face cold. "Very well then. You shall have a report from me in a day or two, once I have prepared the proper spells for questioning the Luskan." He turned and walked to his room.

As Sand left the room and Nevalle found himself alone with just his frustration and anger to keep him company, he lashed out at the nearest object he could find. Which unfortunately for Nevalle was the brick wall.

His fists met the wall several times, each hit more painful than the last, but it only fueled his anger. By the time the Knight was forced to stop by the pain in his hands, the wall was painted red in two places where his fists met with the wall on numerous occasions. His fists were broken, bruised and painful. Especially his knuckles, they were openly bleeding.

He was still angry, but more in control of himself for the moment. Dousing the light, he left the room without even thinking of the mess he left behind.

* * *

Casavir looked down at Torio's small frame while they walked, listening to her explanation. She appeared so frail and tired, although Casavir knew she probably had a lot of hidden strength, at least mentally - he remembered how she had been during the Trial for the Knight Captains.

Still, he was glad he had found them this night - the situation he had broken up had seemed rather threatening to the small woman, and Casavir hated to think of what Nevalle might be capable of. What part Sand had played in this, the paladin did not know, but judging from the desperation he had both seen and heard in the wizard's voice, told him that his presence had probably not been voluntarily, and that perhaps the Knight had even tried to force Sand to use... torture on the woman. Judging by Nevalle's uncontrolled rage by Casavir's interference, it might very well have been.

"I'm glad I came by and could help you, Miss Torio," Casavir said seriously to her when they reached her door, and gave her a little bow. "I do not require anything for simply doing my duty. Please, think nothing of it."

Torio eyed Casavir warily; he honestly seemed to want nothing for his help._Fool_. But her heart wasn't really behind the mental jab; she hated to admit it to herself, but the wash of gratitude that filled her wasn't all that unpleasant. She suddenly just felt tired; her adrenaline had stopped, and her nerves were frayed...she merely nodded at him. "Thank you, again," she said coolly, and turned, pushing her door open and shutting it quietly behind her.

"My pleasure, Miss Torio," Casavir replied and made another small bow, watching her until she closed the door. Turning to leave, he suddenly heard steps further down the hallway. _What is it this time? Doesn't anybody sleep at nights anymore?_

Hiding in the shadows in the corner beside Torio's door, he waited as the steps came closer, and suddenly he saw the wizard again. _Sand. Why am I not surprised? _Waiting until he had come closer, Casavir suddenly stepped out of the shadow and showed himself.

"Sand. What are you doing here?"

Sand jumped slightly and then smiled tiredly at Casavir. "Just checking on the girl, then heading to sleep myself. Thank you for taking her to her room." He glanced at the closed door and then up at the paladin. "How is she?"

"Checking up on the girl?" Casavir eyed the wizard suspiciously. "You have never seemed to be a person who would care about the welfare of people you dislike, and I have never heard you say anything but derogatory things about her. So why would you suddenly care how she was doing? Especially after the situation I just broke up."

The paladin stepped closer, his brow arched and his eyes narrowing. "I think there are a lot of things you aren't telling me here, Sand. Exactly what_ is _your involvement in this situation? Out with it!"

Sand took a quick step back, looking up at over 6 feet of towering, paladiny, holy muscles. He swallowed nervously. "The girl is on our side now, isn't she? By working with the Knight Captains, aren't I obliged to assure that all our assets are well-taken care of? Call it...a sense of duty." He hated throwing out the "D" word around the Paladin but Sand was now eyeing the cool righteous fury of man before him.

"I don't have to like her to make sure she survives the night, do I? Besides - " he said, a touch defensively. "Her tongue is as sharp as mine. Torio Claven can certainly handle herself; if I didn't know better, I would suspect she derived a certain amount of pleasure in the words we so readily exchange."

Sand had a smooth tongue, and his words regarding duty and not having to like somebody to ensure their well-being hit the target. "To assure that all our assets are well taken care of is also _my_ duty," Casavir nodded seriously, "and that is exactly what I was doing tonight. She is all right, but who knows what she would have been if I had not arrived when I did. I do not tolerate cruelty, not even from a Knight of the Nine - or should I say especially not from one of them. Am I right to assume that the Knight would have tortured her, Sand?" The paladin's gaze was piercing as he searched the wizard's eyes, trying to detect the slightest flicker of uncertainty or lies. "Were you going to do the actual torture - on Nevalle's order? Or - does Nevalle have a reason to attack both of you?"

Sand wondered if paladins had a special "Detect lying moon elves" divine spell he wasn't aware of; from the way Casavir was staring at him he had to suspect that Casavir would be able to see through any lies from the moment he opened his mouth all the way back to when he told his first little fib.

_Right. All right then._

Don't lie.

_You're a lawyer..._

I wonder what paladins do to liars?

"I am so glad you understand duty well, my friend." Sand met Casavir's gaze straight on. "And I'm rather relieved the girl is all right." _Because she may be the only person to hear me scream before Sir Righteousness strangles me... _

"Lord Nasher has...had certain precautions placed upon the Luskan. She is aware of them and agreed to them as part of the bargain for sparing her life. Torio _is_ a spy but as far as we know, she is a spy for us - Nevalle simply needed to know if she was playing both sides. So yes - to be blunt - as Nevalle's request, a Torture spell was to be activated. My...duties...as it were, extend also to Neverwinter, beyond the Knight Captain and there are times where I must answer to either Nasher or Sir Nevalle directly. Like tonight. I'm certain you understand that, dear Paladin, as one who was formerly in the service of our glorious city."

The paladin nodded slowly as Sand told him about the Torture spell; this explained neatly why the situation had been so tense between Torio and Nevalle in that room, and he could see that Sand was telling the truth.

"That makes sense," he said finally. "I'm glad I was able to prevent the torture. You are right regarding the Knight too - I have never seen him so out of control as he was tonight." Again seeking out Sand's eyes with his light blue piercing gaze, Casavir launched his last suspicion. "If nobody harmed her and you know I was seeing her to her door, why would you come all the way over here to check on her? That is not like you, Sand - compassion has never been your strongest side, and after all - you have always appeared to dislike her. So - why are you outside her door now? And what stayed your hand in activating the spell, even though the Knight seemed mad enough to kill you for not doing so?"

Sand glanced at Torio's door. What had started out as a kind gesture (which he assumed the paladin would appreciate) was now turning into his noose. He said lowly, "Of course I was relieved that I wouldn't have to activate the spell. Torio and I have our...differences... but I have no desire to see her in pain, especially when my own personal belief was that she was already telling the truth. Perhaps the Knight is more accustomed to intrigue and the politics of court and has his reasons to be suspicious but I did not."

Sand considered the last series of questions from Casavir carefully. Somehow telling the paladin that he was here because he wanted to apologize and perhaps allow her the pleasure of her revenge by tearing off his robes didn't seem...quite adequate. Instead he said, "I was hoping to speak to her, find out the truth of things without the interference of Sir Nevalle. I suspect she'd be more open to speaking to me now as opposed to the Knight. Compassionate? No, perhaps not to be taking advantage of her unsteady state of mind but it is infinitely better than activating the spell." He looked at the paladin again. "What stayed my hand was that I had no desire to be haunted by her screams at night. I have a difficult enough time sleeping as it is."

Casavir had suspected that Sand perhaps was playing his cards on both sides of the table, co-operating both with Nevalle and Torio. Although he still was not convinced this was not the case, there was a certain rawness in Sand's voice and he looked tired... or perhaps still upset... and Casavir realized that the wizard had probably been as terrified as Torio was, when he had interrupted Nevalle's rage.

Glancing back to Torio's door, he added, "I hope you can succeed in getting the information without Nevalle interfering, but should you really do it tonight? I know she may be easier to speak to when she is upset, but you still seem pretty upset yourself... upset and tired. She might just end up gaining information from you instead. Perhaps it would be better to wait until the morning?"

Sand shook his head tiredly; then without thinking, he reached out and touched the wood of Torio's door almost tenderly. "Perhaps you are right - I do not have the mental capacities currently to question her. I'll wait." He smiled suddenly at the paladin. "The girl owes you much this night."

Casavir noticed the gentle touch Sand gave Torio's door and arched a brow, but since the wizard seemed so tired, he wasn't sure it was a conscious act. Deciding to let it go, he nodded slowly to Sand. "I suppose it was a good thing I came by when I did... but I only did my duty. Neither she nor you owe me anything - I would have helped anybody in such a situation." He paused. "So you do have a conscience then, Sand?" he said softly. "I must say it was well done of you to stand up to her in front of Nevalle, the way he was tonight. I hope you can sleep better for it." Casavir nodded approvingly - perhaps there was hope for Sand after all.

He laughed bitterly when Casavir mentioned his conscience. "Do I have a conscience? Do I?" He laughed again and then paused thoughtfully. "I don't think I shall be able to sleep tonight." He smiled wanely. "Do not...judge the Knight too harshly. And do not be so quick to praise my actions either. We all make our mistakes; we all have our motivations for acting as well. Sir Nevalle has been under a considerable amount of duress since the attempt on his life, never mind the fact that the assassins got so close to Lord Nasher before they were stopped." He glanced again at Casavir, weighing his options.

Casavir would make an admirable ally in preventing the activation of the Torture spell; he would oppose it without question and Sand wouldn't have to lift a finger or say a word, which would jeopardize his supposed hatred of the Luskan. But there remained how much he could tell the paladin. "Well first off - the fact that my primary motivation for not activating the spell was to preserve my sleep is entirely selfish." He chuckled.

"Secondly, my intentions are perhaps... too good... and therein lies the problem. She really does deserve the gallows for all she has done and yet, she has been a surprisingly admirable ally to us since coming to the Keep and I intend to remain in her good graces. I believe she will be more forthright with information if shown a kind hand. I worry that if the good sir knight finds out of my...philosophical change of heart, he will send another mage here to watch her. One who would not be so...tempered or judicious... in his administration of pain. Because of the awkward position in which I am placed, I cannot say anything to Nevalle or oppose his command."

With growing surprise, Casavir listened as Sand explained how he seemed to have developed a sympathy for Torio. He rubbed both his eyes with the heels of his palms, then moved his hands downwards to hide a yawn. "I suppose what you say makes sense. Just take care not to become too friendly with her, if you understand my meaning. Nevalle and Nasher would not look kindly on any unnecessary consorting with the enemy."

"Hmm. Friendly? Hardly. Torio is still a Luskan after all; treachery is part of their very soul." Sand chuckled. "Besides - I doubt she would want to be friends with the very person who defeated her in court and inadvertently sent her towards the gallows only to save her and help keep her bound in service in an old, damp Keep populated by the very people she killed an entire village for, trying to kill. I suspect she hasn't even forgiven me for the comments I made about her clothing."

"In any case, tomorrow I shall speak to Sir Nevalle after I get information from the girl and see if he can't be reasoned with. I'm sure all we need is a good night's rest." He smiled slyly at the paladin. "And I concur with your advice - I won't become 'too friendly with her'. As it stands, it is not even wise to turn your back to her for too long."

"It seems we are in agreement regarding the Luskan then," Casavir concluded and took a couple of steps further from her door. "Tomorrow, you talk with her, try to gain the information the Knight needs with appropriate behaviour, and see Nevalle when he is in a more tolerable state of mind. But for tonight, we shall all get some rest." With a tone of voice that simply was not to be refused, Casavir placed an arm on Sand's shoulder and gently but firmly began to lead him down the hall. "I'll walk you to your room. No more excursions tonight. Get some sleep, Sand." With that, he briskly walked them towards Sand's room.

Sand gave Torio's door one last discreet look and allowed himself to be physically hauled off in the direction of his room. He doubted he could resist over six feet of Tyr-inspired muscles anyway. "Right. Sleep. Have to refresh my memory and my spells, don't I?" If Torio didn't come see him within the hour, he would sneak out to her room and then try to get as _little_ sleep as possible.

They stopped in front of his door and Sand paused before entering. "Thank you again, Casavir." He entered and closed the door quietly behind him, leaning against the wooden frame, his heart hammering - and waited for Torio.


	9. Chapter 9

**Part IX: Dulcius ex Asperis**

Torio cracked the door to her room open momentarily, peering out into the hallway. It had been some time since Casavir had walked her back to her room, and the entire Keep seemed dead silent...she figured it couldn't be past midnight yet.

She slipped out the door and padded silently down the halls; there was a heavy, cold feeling in her stomach as she went over what had happened earlier that night, and it was with no small amount of trepidation that she pressed against Sand's door and rapped on it gently.

Sand threw open the door. He had been leaning against the heavy wood frame, waiting for her. He knew she would be coming as soon as it was safe to do so. He pulled her into the room, slamming the door shut, and pressed her against the door, his hands running through her hair, kissing her fiercely.

"Oh gods, dear girl..." His mind ran through the 'what ifs' so quickly he couldn't even begin to express his thoughts.

Torio's entire body seemed to melt with relief as she entered the relative "safety" of Sand's room. She merely made a nonsensical sounds against Sand's mouth as he kissed her, her back flattened against the door behind her while her arms slid up around his neck, clinging to him in a frenzy.

After a moment, she managed to inhale deeply, and pull her mouth back from his. "It was close," she muttered, staring into his oh-so-blue eyes. "I've never seen Nevalle act that way before..."

"It was peculiar, wasn't it?" He led her to the bed and sat on it, holding her hands. Without asking her, he began casting the _Reaving Dispel _spell again, lifting the Torture glyph from her and onto him. A_Permanency_ spell sealed it into place and Sand lay back quietly on the bed, his mind mulling over the events of the evening.

The Torture spell seemed to him heavier and angrier, pressing down on his ribcage. He watched her out of the corner of his eye. "I would have had to activate it, you know. Since removing my enchantment - that's the only spell I have access to now."

"I told Nevalle I'd speak to you and...find out the truth, as it were." He continued gazing at her. "So what is the truth?"

Torio snorted, resting her elbows on her knees as she sat on the bed. "What do you think? You _know_ where I've been spending most of my free time, _Bodaes_." Her head sagged forward, and she pinched the bridge of her nose between her fingers, shutting her eyes. After a long moment, she said, quietly, "I know what you would have had to do, Sand." She pulled her hand back slightly, rubbing the fingers together and inspecting them, her browed furrowed intensely.

After a long stretch of silence, she said, "Despite what Sir Nevalle seems to think, I am not steeping the Keep with secret spies from Luskan." She chuckled, a bitter edge to her voice. "It is the end of all ironies that it is one of the few times I am _not_ embroiled in some elaborate plot that I am threatened with torture. Tymora must laugh at me, sometimes."

She fell silent again, her face broodingly thoughtful. She had been honest all evening, something she wasn't prone to do; her instinct had always led her to twist words to suit the situation, and to bring about the best possible outcome for her, earning her a reputation that rendered most of her political peers terrified to even trade words with her.

Now, however, her infamous reputation was a hindrance more than it was a help...she was no longer in the serpents' den, where such tactics could earn her favor. And what was more, she couldn't go back.

She glanced at Sand sharply and then sighed, placing her hand on his leg lightly. "If you feel you need to replace your enchantments, _Bodaes,_ then do what you must."

Sand folded his hands across his stomach, his eyes always on Torio. "I believe you, dear girl. To be perfectly honest, I do not always trust you but I believe you in this instance. I will tell Sir Nevalle and do my very best to convince him that you _are_able to communicate the truth without threats to your life." Sand paused; the silence was pregnant between them. He watched her small frame, slumped in defeat. He was a little surprised she was so upset that Nevalle did not believe her; though he had to concede that the threat of torture was a good motivation for fear.

He finally spoke up. "Why would I put my enchantment back on? Then you would take back your end of the bargain and I simply would not be able to pass the long tedious hours at the Keep without your company. Besides - if I had wanted to, I would not have removed the Torture spell to my person, now, would I have?"

Torio glanced at him, smirking; her voice was offhanded as she said, "It's a small Keep...I'm sure we would still run in to each other." She examined the nails of one hand absently. "In the Library, perhaps?"

Sand turned his head so he could see her form lying besides him. "The Library." He grinned at the memory. "I'm surprised, to this day, nobody has said anything about it - considering the state we left it in." He reached out and touched her bare arm with the back of one slender finger. "_Have_ you ever been tortured?"

Torio's mouth twisted. "Not extensively, no...unless you count having to share a library with Aldanon." She lay back on the bed next to him. "Garius was...not kind, during any time that he felt we were falling short of his expectations. Lorne received the more physical reminders on how to behave, whereas I was...administered to a bit differently."

He wriggled his body closer to her so that they were touching shoulder to shoulder, but kept his hands folded over her stomach. "Excuse my curiosity, Helkaer. If you don't feel comfortable speaking about it, we can cease and go on to further unpleasant topics - all of which seem to be lining up for us, awaiting their turn."

Torio laughed. "So take my pick?" She bent the elbow closest to him, reaching up and tracing his shoulder with her fingers while she looked up at the ceiling, chewing her lip thoughtfully. "It doesn't necessarily cause me any discomfort; I admired the tactics many of the mages, including Garius, used. Lorne was impetuous, difficult to control; he angered easily and raged unstoppably for long periods of time, and yet Garius was able to bring him under heel. He was more subtle, with me; he delved into my mind, showed me images; left my mind in places that were...ah..."

She trailed off, then said grudgingly, "Well...it's slightly unpleasant to think about, but it was still impressive." Her mouth twitched sardonically. "And effective."

"Images." Sand shuddered slightly. "I can only imagine what Garius would have shown you. Well no - I'd rather not imagine, but I suspect I know of their ilk." He looked at her, looking at the ceiling. "Well...I admire your strength and the fact you could even respect him, after what he did to you, I suppose. Either that - or you are more forgiving than you first let on. Which bodes well for me, I suppose."

He returned to staring at the ceiling himself. "Tell me - what horrifies you more? A broken mind or a broken body?"

She mulled that over. "I shudder at the thought of not having my mental faculties in tact," she said quietly, after a moment. "I suppose I would agree with those that claim the flesh is transient. I've seen powerful beings overcome the limits of flesh through sheer willpower alone; while creatures like Lorne were a slave to their bodies, letting pain rule them." She shook her head imperceptibly, making soft shifting noises against the bedding as her hair slid over it. "No...my mind is everything I have. I would probably give up every ounce of flesh I had to keep it intact."

She glanced over at Sand's form next to her slyly. "Although, I must admit Sand, you make the idea of being a slave to my flesh irresistibly tempting, most times."

"Hmm. I must agree with you. My mind is invaluable to me. Your mind is invaluble to me as well." He laughed, rolled over on his side and kissed her on the forehead, the serious moment temporarily broken. "I think I'm more a slave to your flesh, dear girl."

One of her eyebrows arched up languidly over her eye; she lifted a hand and toyed with the front of his robes momentarily. "Are you, now? Tur en' llie tol ent di'thang nae amin sarko?" _Master of your mind and slave to my flesh? _

She tilted her head against the mattress to look up at him leaning over her, her eyes hooded for a moment as her mouth twisted caustically. "Let us hope that said flesh can stay intact long enough to enjoy its dominion over you, then." The fingers that had been idly toying with his robes suddenly sank into the cloth, gripping it and pulling him down, holding his face a mere hairsbreadth from hers. "Because if it doesn't, dear wizard, my mind will be rather steadfast in finding a way back to repay you the sentiment." She tugged hard, pulling his mouth against hers and kissing him roughly, her fingers twisting in his robes.

Sand found himself being pulled to Torio and rolled on top of her, returning the fervor of her kiss with his own, feeling the way her hands were clutching him. His heart was hammering inside his chest. This whole night was a wild ride from nearly having to torture Torio to now lying on top of her.

That moment went it appeared Nevalle was determined to have him activate the spell, a part of him had died - he had considered refusing and had wondered what the Knight would have done if he had not listened to his command.

He remembered her desperate, pleading voice and his heart gave an involuntary clench. Sand gazed into her clear gray eyes a moment, a thousand words running through his mind; but only one made it to his tongue.

"Torio."

She watched him for a moment; her breath came heavily, after they pulled apart from the kiss, and she could feel all of it rising and falling in her lungs, pushing her chest up against Sand's body and then feeling it sink down into the bed again with each inhale and exhale. He said her name, inches from her mouth, his voice strained and deep and unlike anything she'd ever heard.

Would he have done it? A part of her knew that he almost would have had to; either that, or risk the knight's wrath, and apparently Nevalle's wrath was on a much larger scope than even she could have guessed. She slid her hands from his robes, her fingers running up his chest and along the sides of his neck to press against his face, cupping his jaw. _What if he had refused? _

What if he decided that all of this risk and mayhem and near-misses with knights just wasn't worth it anymore?

She let her arms slide around his neck and merely pulled him down against her body, sighing as she felt his weight press down on her. She turned her head slightly, so that her cheek pressed against his, and murmured back, "Sand."

Sand held his face to her, breathing steadily. He closed his eyes, feeling the softness of her curves beneath him, her hands and arms holding him to her. Neverwinter took an uncanny turn towards Luskan tonight and it left him feeling ill.

_You ran from this - risked life and limb to be free of this._

_Never thought you'd see it again, did you Sand?_

"Would you have forgiven me? What...what would have happened to us afterwards?"

Torio turned her head, nuzzling his neck with her cheek, feeling the thick strands of his dark hair brush across her skin momentarily. "I'm not sure what might have happened," she said quietly after a moment. Her voice turned a little dry as she spoke, trying to combat the sick heaviness low in her stomach as she contemplated what Sand might have done. Or what _she_might have done, afterwards. "I've hardly forgiven you for your comments on my dress during the trial, let alone torture."

She ran a hand up the back of his neck, stroking his hair slowly, her voice serious again. "We do what we have to, I suppose...it is a good thing that nothing happened." She kissed the tip of his ear lightly. "Amin pai byr sol o shyr shi mai aerolia syraer eirodi, _Bodaes_, sysesi os bai."_ I do not think it would be so easy to toss you aside, Bodaes, torture or no. _She sighed. "But I would prefer to never try and find out if our...agreement would withstand the test, if that is acceptable to you."

Sand watched her lips move as she spoke. She seemed paler this night, her face drawn and tired. _Well - what do you expect? She was nearly tortured for information she already truthfully provided..._

"And I've hardly forgiven you for Ember. I would say we're equal in this regard but I suspect one of our crimes is slightly greater than the other." He shifted his body slightly so that he was still lying on top of her, albeit to one side so he could look at her profile in the dying light of the candles.

"It is good that nothing adverse happened tonight. The paladin was concerned about you; he was even more concerned about my involvement in everything. Hopefully I have deflected him well enough."

Sand began tracing her face, running an index finger from her forehead, down the bridge of her nose until the tip. "Still, it worries me that one day we won't be able to dodge this arrow so well. If I ever had to...torture... you - I would let you activate the spell on me after. To balance out the playing field. I would hate to be in your debts, Torio Claven."

"Yes, the paladin was a lucky stroke tonight," she said sourly. "He doesn't seem to think so, but I...we...owe him much. I don't think he quite realizes what exactly he stopped from happening, but..." She trailed off, her eyes half-shutting languidly as Sand's finger traced down the front of her face.

Her eyes opened fully as she looked at him. "Activate the spell on you?" The idea was novel, true; this was, after all, Sand...he had cause her no end of misery, and frustration, and humiliation, and...

...pleasure, and companionship, and relative freedom with that reckless, somewhat selfless casting of the _Reaving Dispel_

"A conundrum," She said out loud, watching him carefully. "We shall have to see. I don't particularly relish the thought of causing you indescribable agony..." She arched a brow up at him. "...although that opinion might change after you administer such favors to me." She nudged her head back slightly, so that his searching finger brushed down off the tip of her nose and across her lips. "But your offer is well and duly noted." A sly smile tugged at one corner of her mouth, and her voice was light when she said, "I never knew you could be such a glutton for punishment, Sand." She opened her mouth and closed her teeth around the tip of Sand's finger, biting it gently.

"A glutton for punishment? I _am_with you, aren't I, dear Torio? Is that not punishment enough or do you hope to wreak more havoc upon my poor defenseless self?" He ran his fingers down her chin, trailing lightly across her white throat and then between her breasts, resting it upon her supple flesh.

"Mmmmm." She stretched up against his hand reflexively. "I could never miss a chance to wreak havoc on your delectable self, Bodaes." She glanced at him archly, her blood alighting at the feeling of his hand pressing against her skin. "Although I would hardly call you poor and defenseless." She reached up and pressed her hand over his, sliding his fingers along the low cut neckline of her dress, until they reached her shoulder, where she curled them under the edge of the fabric. "Quite the opposite, in fact..." she nuzzled his neck as she guided his fingers, pulling the dress slowly off of her shoulder and down her arm, "...you seem to constantly need reminding that there are others around here just as dangerous as you."

Her mouth had maneuvered close to his ear, and now she pulled the delicate, lobeless shell between her lips, pressing her teeth around its edge. She held herself there for a moment, applying a slow, steady pressure, inhaling the tanged scent of dormant magic that always seemed to cling to him like a fine cologne. It had an angry, smoldering undertone to it this evening that made her heart race wildly...

Sand began slowly sliding the dress down her torso at Torio's behest, moving the delicate fabric down inch by agonizing inch. He stopped when the material was stretched taut over her breasts. He could see the pink nipples barely beginning to peak out. "I have never forgotten, Helkaer, of the danger you pose to everyone at the Keep, me in particular."

He gripped the silk by her bosoms lightly with his teeth and began the pulling the fabric down, his eyes gazing appreciatively at the two mounds of flesh as they were freed. He freed her arms from the dress, letting it bunch up around her waist and he gently held her wrists to the bed. "So dangerous, in fact, I wonder if it wouldn't be wiser to keep you restrained to my bed permanently. I'm certain I'd be able to find just the right spell..."

She inhaled sharply as she felt his mouth close around the low neckline of her dress, his breath trickling against her skin as he drew it down. She stretched out, arching against him as she felt his fingers close around her wrists; the finely spun linen of his robes slid coolly across her bare skin, and she shivered slightly, her flesh prickling in delight. "A fate that would most certainly not be worse than death; if all such sentences are given thusly, I think I could develop a taste for imprisonment." She lifted her head up, trying to catch Sand's mouth with hers, wriggling slightly against his grip.

Sand laughed. "A taste for imprisonment? You, dear girl? Well." His eyes shifted around the room. "Perhaps we should test that out." He kissed swiftly, his hands finding her dress and pulling it down over her hips and letting the fabric fall to the floor. He ran his hands up from her ankles and calves, tracing lightly over her thighs, skipping coyly past the building heat between her legs until once again, he was holding her wrist pinned to the bed, the silver bracelet cool against his palm. "Do you trust me, Helkaer?"

Torio gasped, her head falling back against the bed as the dress was peeled down off of her body and tossed aside. She twitched under his hand, her mouth twisting downward slightly in disappointment as he forwent her already aching loins and grasped her wrists again.

She eyed him curiously. There was an intense, fervent light in his eyes as he looked down at her that intrigued her. "I trust you," she said cautiously; with a smirk, she added, "...enough, at least."

"'Enough' is enough, then." There was a robe, draped across the back of his high desk chair, with a belted sash... Sand cast _Animate Rope _and the silk material leapt up into the air. He gazed at Torio, his hands lazily controlling the sash, watching her reaction. With a flick of his fingers, the sash snapped around her wrists, pulling her arms together over her head, binding them together and then tied itself in a complicated knot to his bed's headboard.

He licked his lips, feeling the familiar surge of power - over the captivity of another - a feeling he hadn't experience...well, since he left Luskan. But this time it was coupled with another sensation - raw lust. "It's a potent aphrodisiac - power over another." He leaned over her, his hair falling around his face. "Do you still trust me?"

Her body arched instinctively as her arms were yanked unceremoniously over her head, her wrists lashed to the headboard in the blink of an eye. She felt a dangerous rush of adrenaline shoot through her blood as she stared up at Sand, kneeling above her, his hands manipulating raw magic as if it were nothing more than water in a basin, rippling at his command. Her heart was beating quick and steady, so hard that she was certain Sand might see it pulsing against her bared breasts like some caged animal. She felt intensely exposed, her torso stretched in a long line against the bed, the wizard's robes scratching and shifting against her skin as Sand moved and gestured above her.

Her nostrils flared with a sharp intake of breath as Sand spoke. His hair brushed across her skin, barely a whisper against her collarbone as he bent over her. _"Do you still trust me?"_

She swallowed hard, clenching her jaw as she gave the sash an experimental tug. It didn't budge. "Sand," she said...her voice came out throaty, nervous..._excited_. "What are you going to do?"

"What am I going to do? Why, dear girl, whatever I please." He smiled darkly. "You are my prisoner now, aren't you?" Her voice had a vulnerable quaver and he wondered briefly if Torio had ever been quite at the mercy of another like this.

His blue eyes scanned the room again, then down at his own robes where a black sash was cinched around his waist. A few flicks of his fingers and the sash undid itself, loosening his robes. His fingers wove in the air, bringing the long silk over Torio's legs. With a decisive snap of his fingers, the silk wound itself around her left ankle and then snaked around the footboard, fastening securely. A second silken binding was magically fetched from the wardrobe and without another word, Sand grabbed it out of the air.

"I think I'll secure this one myself, personally." His hands stroked her calf tenderly before grabbing her ankle and tying a knot around her foot, pulling her legs apart and then tying it to the wooden footboard.

Torio shivered as the first silk sash ran down her leg, snaking its way to her ankle, where it yanked her leg out, lashing it firmly to the bedpost. She sucked in a hissing breath, her skin rioting with sensation as Sand's fingers trickled across her calf...she jerked reflexively when he clamped down on her ankle, and practically whimpered as she felt the sash tighten, firmly tying her down.

She could just barely bend her knees if she strained at the bindings, and she shivered again at the cool Keep air caressing the inside of her thighs and running over the super-heated center of her body. She watched Sand carefully, her eyes narrowed into slits as she tensed her body, pulling at the bindings again.

"So, wizard," she said slowly, "It appears I am somewhat at your mercy." She licked her lips; her throat was suddenly dry as she stared up at him.

"And so, Ambassador, it would appear that you are..." Sand murmured. He slid off the bed, pulling the robe over his head and tossing it aside. He stood at the foot of the bed, his eyes very slowly taking in the sight of her bound, stretched out body. He saw the way her muscles tensed as she pulled on the silk cords.

_Now what to do?_

_What do you do when you have your arch nemesis and lover tied up and bound and presented to you like a delectable morsel on a 300 thread count platter?_

Sand quickly realized that her being both his enemy and his lover meant, in the end, the very same action. He smiled at her and quickly moved to his desk, out of sight of Torio and began rummaging through the desk drawers.

Torio twisted against the bed, trying to turn and follow Sand with her eyes as he walked out of her field of vision. She listened, her heart hammering, as the noises of various bottles rolling against wooden drawers could be heard, papers shuffled, and a few indeterminate sounds mingled in as Sand shuffled through... something.

The bindings didn't give. She let out a slightly frustrated snort at the relative sturdiness of the knots the spell had tied. "That seems to be...mmph!...a handy spell to have; tell me,_Bodaes_, how many times have you cast it?" Her body was clenched low in anticipation as she strained to listen, hoping to get some inkling of what he was looking for by the clink of glass, the slide of fabric...

...the metallic ting of a knife blade, maybe?

Her mind raced through all the possible things a wizard with an alchemical bent would have hidden in his room, her breath coming faster as she waited...

Sand shot a look over his shoulder at Torio, vainly struggling in her bonds. He chuckled. "I have never cast the spell for this nefarious reason, though it makes me wonder what other spells can be used for such...carnal gain." He pulled from the drawer the item he had been searching for and walked back over to the bed, keeping it hidden in his palm.

He stood over her, watching her, his hardening member beginning to strain the fabrics of his pants. He smiled coolly at her and then reached back, loosening the leather tie in his hair, shaking out his long dark hair. His keen observations had not failed to notice that she loosened his hair whenever they were together. He bent over her again, brushing his lips against her lightly, while with his right hand he trailed a white feather down her neck, and across her nipples. "Some of the cruelest torture implements are also the gentlest, dear girl."


	10. Chapter 10

**Part X: Pares cum Paribus**

She felt a slight wash of relief as he revealed a long, elegant feather, and then almost immediately gasped, her body twitching reflexively as the soft tendrils brushed around her breasts, goosebumps rising on her skin. The sight of his face, his slanted eyes dark with desire, with lust, with _power_, the long ripples of hair falling around his face as he bent over her...she felt a roll of pleasure tighten her body momentarily, and she exhaled long and low, staring up at him.

"The gentlest, is it?" She repeated, her voice ragged. "Ent naa llie kyl nae na seim faer amin, san?" _And are you going to be gentle with me, then?_

Sand followed the path of the feather down to her collarbone, kissing softly all the way. "Baesia baesia kaeli..." _Very very gentle_... He flicked his tongue over her erect nipples, letting the feather tickle her lightly over her flat stomach. With his free hand, he cupped her breast, feeling the firm give of the flesh beneath his palm. "Ialaer lle pai byr shal amin sai shi." _Unless you do not want me to be_... He rolled the nipple between his fingertips, pulling up sharply.

She pressed up against him slightly, her eyes squeezing shut in pleasure as his tongue flicked out over her skin...and then she let out a short, sharp cry as his fingers pulled at her flesh, the sensation shooting straight to the ever-increasing knot of tension below her naval as her nipples became impossibly hard underneath his touch. Her legs bucked instinctively, but besides a slight creaking of the footposts, they remained steadfastly tied. The feather was tracing across her stomach, and she let out a long, low sigh; she rolled her head back against the pillow beneath her, the only movement she could make on her own to relieve the ever-building frustration that was searing her body.

"I'm sure my lord wizard knows what's best," She said, her voice cracking slightly. _By gods, _but this was diabolical She wanted to touch him so badly it ached. Her fingers twitched from where they gripped the silk sash that bound her wrists, and she arched her head forward, trying to press her lips to his.

Sand held his mouth a mere hair's breadth away from Torio's, breathing lightly and feeling her breath on his lips. He held his face very still, his eyes searching hers. His hand was still squeezing her nipple; the other was circling the skin of her narrow waist. He slid his body down hers, taking her other breast in his mouth, skimming his teeth along the tender skin, suckling the flesh. He pressed his mouth to her stomach, feeling the muscle twitch and then ran his tongue wetly from her navel to the bottom of her bosom. The feather was now dancing down the inside of one of her thighs and he moved down, kissing the other. "I may know what is best but does my lady ambassador have any requests?"

Her entire body was trembling, and she had to grit her teeth against the pouring outcry that struggled in her throat; she could do nothing, move nothing, and her voice was trying desperately to cover for this lapse by screaming out to the high heavens and anyone in the Keep that might be listening, too. His mouth was deliciously hot against her skin, leaving trails of moisture across her body that instantly cooled when he moved away from them. Her legs jerked and twitched as the feather slid along the inside of her thigh, teasingly close...

Her eyes fell shut, and inwardly, she had to smirk. _"I may know what is best ..." _ Even in the midst of passion, he was still arrogant. _Although you did say the words first..._

"Touch me," she said, trying to put an edge of command back into her voice. It still came out half-pleading, the tight, constriction in her throat making it difficult to sound otherwise. She bucked her hips upwards towards him, causing the feather to brush against the crook where her thigh met her body, and she let out a strangled moan. "Oh gods...please...Sys amin." _ Touch me._

Sand kissed her thigh again and then the mound of flesh covered in soft, curly brown hairs. He ran his fingernails down her leg, down to her calves and pressed his cheek against her upper legs, breathing lightly into the damp folds between her legs. "Touch you? Have you earned it, dear girl? The prisoner is making demands without providing any goods. Tell me something about...us... that you enjoy."

Torio made a guttural, pained, frustrated noise in the back of her throat; she could feel his heavy, warm breath pressing against her mound almost like a physical force.

She licked her lips, her breath coming heavy. _Diabolical, indeed._

She shut her eyes..._I can't believe I'm going to actually say this out loud._ "Your mouth," she said haltingly. "The way it moves over me...your tongue...how your hair falls...those long, capable fingers." Her mouth twitched slightly in a smile, but she kept her face averted from his. "Those deliciously sensitive ears of yours... I' ma tanya llie kaer arta llie anta iire llie modi e' en' amin."_The look that you get on your face when you slide inside of me. _She paused for a moment, a sly edge to her voice to cover her mild embarrassment. "When I can see your face, that is."

"Interesting. Very interesting." Sand kept his voice light, but his cheeks had a pleased flush. "I should let Nevalle know there are other...more persuasive... methods of obtaining information from you and that I would be _most_happy in the future to hold these...sessions regularly..."

He lifted the feather and began stroking the damp folds, watching the way she heaved helplessly against her bonds. He wrapped his lips around her swollen pink nub of flesh and his tongue darted out, flicking firmly against her while the feather skipped lightly over her skin. He could feel himself grow long and hard, the erection brushing against his bed as he lay crouched between her spread-eagled legs.

Torio gripped the sash that held her wrists hard, her head grinding back into the pillow as his mouth suckled between her legs. A long, broken string of moaning spilled from her mouth as she strained and pulled, her hips pushing against Sand's mouth and pulling back erratically as bolts of euphoria shot through her.

"If_this_is...how you conduct all your interrogations, I shall have to..._aaaah_...withold information more often..." She strained, trying to bring her knees together, to feel his body brushing along the skin of her inner thighs; the feather's soft tendrils snaked across her flesh, its teasing touches eliciting small, short gasps from her mouth. "Oh _gods_, Sand...let me...I need to..." She pulled at the bindings, desperate to touch him, every inch of her body straining madly.

Sand made no reply, only pressed his mouth more firmly against her bucking body, his tongue now sliding against her entire slit. She was straining so hard against the silk that he was rather happy he had always been one to insist on high quality fabrics. She liked his fingers, did she? With the hand not holding the feather, he slipped a finger, then two, inside of her, stretching her walls. She was so wet she was nearly dripping and he stroked the front of her canal rapidly in time with his tongue. His own skin was tingling with a desire to feel her greedy hands; he could feel the inside of her legs against his bare torso, rubbing as she jerks against the cords.

"_Sand_..." She knew she couldn't stand much more; hot, piercing sensations were rioting through her body with such an intensity that she was positive she would have been floating if not for the bindings holding her down. The headboard was creaking behind her in time with her desperate, tugging hands, her breathing now dictated by the quick, rapid strokes of Sand's fingers, sucking in air sharply every time he delved inside of her.

"Untie me," She commanded...begged is more like it. "For the love of the gods..._Sand_..." She could feel release rising inside of her, building up between her legs like an unstoppable wave, her hips thrusting up to meet his mouth as she pulled once more at the silk around her arms.

Sand shook his head, his ears brushing against her thighs. "No, dear girl." His voice was muffled from between her legs. He continued working his mouth against hers, sucking back fiercely on the sensitive pearl between her legs. He slipped a third finger inside her, forcing it against the muscles which were now clenching with a pulsating rhythm. His free hand held one of her legs down against the bed, so that his tongue could continue to slide against her slick folds.

Torio practically kicked against the footboard in her frustration...

...and then suddenly she came hard, almost violently, against Sand's mouth, her body coiling and shuddering helplessly against the bindings as release hit her mercilessly. Her hips pulsated erratically against Sand's lips, a harsh, piercing cry tearing from her throat as her head threw back against the pillows, a few smattering words somewhat understandable in the garble, "Sand!...sweet gods..."

She writhed for a long, euphoric moment, unable to do anything except ride the river of pure pleasure washing over her; she could still feel Sand's fingers inside of her as her muscles contracted and pulsed around them, his mouth drawing on her flesh and pushing her climax onward, refusing to let her go. When she finally,_finally_sagged against the silk that bound her, her voice nothing more than a whimper, she merely lay there for a moment, feeling the spreading warmth permeate her body.

It was as though her whole body was constricting, lifting her up off the mattress. She was writhing so hard he was having a difficult time staying pressed between her legs without her bucking him off. She was shaking violently and Sand watched her from below: the way her breasts quivered with each intake of breath, the way her head tossed against the pillows, the way the muscles of her slender arms contracted, her hands scrabbling at the silk sashes.

She was looked utterly helpless; and yet Sand knew he'd be a fool to believe that. After all, something about her had charmed him into doing all this for her, whether she knew it or not.

"Oio naa...tualle, Amin naa tanak Bodaes," she gasped out, her head lolled back helplessly against the vague aftershocks of sheer bliss that bolted through her. _Ever your servant, I'm sure._

Sand sat up, discreetly wiping his mouth and fingers. He watched the last of her climax ebb from her form. "Ar'olarolalia lle tura, Helkaer." _And occasionally your master, Helkaer. _He kissed her softly.

Sand gently began untying the silk, the knots coming apart easily at his command. He tenderly massaged her skin where the cords had cut in; he didn't need the paladin seeing her tomorrow with indents and bruises around her wrists and ankles. He was fairly certain even if he told him the truth, Casavir would probably smite him for offending his sense of moral decency. He pulled the last of the silk from her and draped it over the headboard. "And now you are free once again."

She remained still, watching him from beneath hooded eyes as he removed the sashes from around her ankles, and then moved to her wrists...she let him massage her wrists for a moment, feeling the sting of returning blood flow and a slight, bruising ache from where her bracelet had dug in to her skin in her frenzy.

She pressed her feet flat on the mattress, and hitched them up, flipping Sand underneath her. "One of us is most impolitely overdressed," she purred, and quickly drew the strings on his trews through the holes, sliding his trousers off of his hips and down his legs, eyeing his long, fully erected member with a slight shiver of appreciation. As she half turned to toss the discarded trousers onto the floor, her eyes fell on something still lying at the end of the bed.

_The feather..._

She picked it up, and crawled back up the length of Sand's body, running the feather along the inside of his leg until it held poised over the crease in his hip where his leg met his body, teasing his skin. "I shall have to repay you for that little session, _bodaes_." She ran the feather up and around his erect member, never fully touching it, letting the long tendrils snake across his lower abdomen and down, across the base of his shaft. "Such a _master_of the art deserves something, don't you think?"

Sand dug his fingers into the bedspread, arching his back against her as she mercilessly taunted his eager flesh. "_Helkaer_..." He wiggled beneath her. "...no need to repay me. Consider that a gift, freely given." He could feel his skin erupting in goosebumps, partly due to the cool air, but mostly due to her tantalizingly evasive touch. He gasped. "Really - it was my pleasure to practice a skill I hadn't used in so long..." He lifted his hips, straining to rub his hardened shaft against her body.

Torio lowered her hips a fraction of an inch, letting the head of his shaft brush against her still impossibly wet opening; her body twitched automatically at even that light contact against her over-sensitized, satiated flesh, and she fought the urge to plunge herself down onto him immediately. "Oh, but _really_," she said silkily. "I insist." The feather slid underneath his shaft, stroking against the sensitive underside of the soft, fleshy sac, drawing the feather upwards and through the crease where his thigh met his hip. "Skills you haven't used in so long, is it?" She bent her head, kissing him. "So the little viper uses more than just magic for his nefarious purposes..." her mouth ran down his chin to the underside of his throat.

His heart was pounding, the hot hot blood coursing under his skin. His whole organ tensed, lengthened as he felt her nearness - straining to reach her. He lifted his hips again. "You're suddenly being...ahhh...generous with your ministrations..." The feather was causing the skin of his sac palpitate and he felt a few droplets of fluid drip out, sliding down the head of his shaft. It took all his will power not to simply grab her hips and force her down on top of him. He closed his eyes and inhaled sharply. "I spent years in Luskan - I learned a few things..." He whimpered, his hands clenched at his sides as she began kissing his throat. The skin there felt open, totally exposed. "...and it appears you did as well."

Torio rolled her hips slightly, letting the tip of him brush along her wet folds, pulling the feather up the front his abdomen. She ran the tip around his nipples lightly, her mouth closing over his throat and sucking gently between her teeth. "I know a trick or two," she said purringly. She slowly began lowering her body over his shaft, moving inch by agonizing inch, pulling her face back momentarily so that she was looking in his eyes. "Hmmm," she said archly. She pulled her hips back up again and held him there, nestled just slightly inside of her opening. "Sand," she whispered, tilting her head and pressing her mouth against his ear. "Tell me something you..enjoy about when we're together."

Sand couldn't help it - he reached up and pulled her body to him, holding her close. "That's easy, Helkaer. Your skin - its softness and...its scent. It smells of...books and candlewax, candlesmoke and_human_." He inhaled deeply. "Your mouth, your lips, your tongue - you wield them all as weapons and render me helpless." He chuckled.

"You remind me it is all right to leave the books aside - though since meeting you, I must admit I suspect I have abused my magical abilities. You...challenge me as no one has ever challenged me, Counselor." He stroked her hair. "But more importantly... lle rangw amin." _You understand me._

Torio went very still as he pulled her close. _Books_? She suppose she spent an inordinate amount of time around them, that was certain; but she never knew the mingled scents of leather and parchment and dried, age old ink would cling to _her_

Or that Sand would _like_it...? Her mouth quirked in a slight smile. _Elves_. Or maybe just a certain elf. She felt the heat creeping into her face as he went on, his fingers sliding across her hair; she had expected teasing, mockery...maybe even a little pleading, considering his earlier reactions, but this was...

Ha...honesty?

_You understand me._

"It's an invaluable tool, understanding the opposition," she said quietly. Her heart constricted painfully, clamoring against the warm glow that still suffused her skin. She lifted her head to look down at him. His long, hard length was pressed between them, pushing up against her stomach; she shifted her body against him, feeling the tip of his organ brush across her naval and down the smooth flatness below it. "Ta tajaer nesh mylaes eilolaer ndu i' malle'." _It makes for stronger alliances down the road. _She turned his face slightly to hers and kissed him.

Sand returned her kiss and then broke contact, eyeing her shrewdly. "Mylaes eilolaer?" _Stronger alliances_? His mouth twitched in a slight smile. That was a bit of a euphemism for what he suspected she was hinting at. He was beginning to allow himself the freedom to at least speculate as to her true feelings and motives, behind her suppose ulterior motives. She hadn't killed him (yet) nor had she sold him to Luskan (yet). And in speculating about her feelings he had begun exploring his own as well. He hadn't left her to Nevalle's mercy (yet) nor had he abandoned her to her deserved fate (yet).

He nudged her legs apart. "If you understand the opposition, then, dear girl, you surely must understand what I am doing and what I want..."

Her mouth twitched in an amused smile. "I might," she said evasively...she lifted her hips slightly, his stiffened shaft rising upward of it's own accord as her weight lifted off of him, its tip sliding down her belly and against her moist slit as she shifted onto her elbows. "But it seems that there have been a few very unfortunate misunderstandings in my past diplomatic dealings." She nuzzled his neck as she poised herself over his shaft, his head pressed against her opening. Her voice low and deceptively sweet. "So why don't you inform me of what it is you want?"

Sand laughed, his voice thick with desire. He smiled warmly at her, his expression soft, relaxed, open. "You."

Her voice caught slightly. "I'll see what I can do, then." She slid him in to her body, his shaft riding inside of her easily, her walls still slick from her earlier release. She sat up slowly, trailing her hands across his chest, her thumbs brushing across his nipples. She tossed her head back slightly as she straightened, flicking her hair out of her eyes. Spreading her fingers across his stomach, she gripped his waist firmly and began rolling her hips, lifting and sliding them down against his, drawing him out of her and pulling him back. Her blood flushed through her, heating her skin as she let out a ragged sigh.

Sand exhaled lowly as he finally felt the wet warmth between her legs envelop him, pulling his entire length inside. Each time she rocked against him he felt his hardened member tauten until each breath came out a whimpering moan. He ran his hands roughly up her hips, until he was holding her waist. He pushed her down against him, while he lifted his hips and he held her tight against him for a moment, his eyes closed. He exhaled slowly, his heart thudding in his chest.

Then he lifted his body, rolling her gently over until he was lying on top of her. He studied her face in the dim light of his room. Her eyes were half-closed, staring up at him; her dark lashes gave her eyes a dramatic shadow. Her lips were parted slightly; her hair had fallen back against his pillow. He pressed his face against hers, feeling her lashes every time she blinked slowly. There was something so erotic, so tender, so lov...

He stopped the thought and instead Sand kissed a trail down her jaw and neck until he found soft place where her long neck sloped into her delicate shoulders. He closed his mouth around the white flesh and began sucking, biting - feeling cruel suddenly and knowing he'd leave a mark. He lifted his hips and thrust himself firmly inside her, crying out against her skin at the inundating satisfaction of feeling her give beneath his body. He began pushing himself inside vigorously, using his hands to lift her legs around his waist, fusing their bodies together. He wanted to overwhelm her small frame with his - for a desperate moment, he wanted to make her his, utterly and entirely - even if only her body.

He was watching her...his face was almost completely in shadow, his long hair obscuring his features from the light, and for a moment all she saw was a glimpse of reflected blue amidst the slanting darkness across his face. He bend his head to hers, and Torio sank back into the bed, arching her neck slightly as his mouth kissed a trail to her shoulder...and then his teeth bit down, his lips pulling at her skin painfully, and she let out a choked gasp, the keen pain intermingled with a tight coil of pleasure as he thrust fiercely into her body, his sharp cry muffled against her flesh. His hands guided her legs up around him, and she tightened them around his waist, her ankles intertwining as her thighs pressed in against him, pulling him down into her body. She clung to him as he rode against her, every thrust ricocheting up her spine, her arms snaking underneath his and clasping around his upper back.

She could feel his mouth still working over her skin, bruising the flesh, and she groaned as he slid over a particularly sensitive spot, biting her lip against a long, loud cry, her fingernails digging into his back; she raked them downwards, gasping as relentlessly pummeled into her again and again. They were pressed so close together she could feel the muscles of his lower torso contract every time he lifted his hips, and she dropped her head back against the pillow, surrendering herself to Sand's overpowering rhythm, short, sharp cries of pain and agonized pleasure falling from her lips

Sand arched his back when she dug in with her fingers and he retaliated with a sharp nip, his teeth leaving a defined imprint by her collarbone. He cupped her face coarsely and pushed his mouth against her in a bruising kiss, his body slamming into hers mercilessly. He could hear the rustling of the bedspread beneath their bodies, the gentle creaking of the wood frame of his bed. Her voice was insistent in his ears and he suddenly stopped his fierce driving into her body, exhaling lowly, "Lle naa vanima..." _You are beautiful_... He pressed his lips to hers, his tongue shoving against hers.

Sand's insistent, hungry kiss pressed her head back into the bed, and she moaned into his mouth. _You are beautiful._ Her body tightened at his words, the Elvish syllables sinking into her flesh as piercingly as any sharpened talon and hooking her just as effectively. He had ceased his merciless thrusting for the moment, and he lay there, hot and engorged inside of her, pulsing against her walls as his tongue delved into her mouth.

She ran a hand up the back of his neck, entangling her fingers in his long, black hair, pressing his mouth hard against hers. Her shoulder was tingling heatedly as the blood rushed to where his mouth had marked her, and she let out a sigh against his mouth; her body was aching for him to continue...

_...and yet if I could stop everything, and just stay right here..._

_You are losing your head, Ambassador. _ She pushed her tongue against his fervently, ignoring the nagging thought in the back of her head.

Sand felt his upper body tingle with electricity as she pulled on his hair. He renewed his thrusting, feeling himself slide wetly inside of her. Her legs were still wrapped around him, making her impossibly tight and he groaned loudly at the resistance he felt along her walls. "_Helkaer...Torio..._"

She was kissing him now with an unrestrained passion and his movements responded in kind; he pushed deeply into her and then pulled out, his shaft slick with her moisture. He felt the incessant throbbing in the head of his member and he plunged one last time into her.

The orgasm slammed into him with the force of a wayward spell. It seemed as though every single muscle of his contracted forcefully, his blood lighting afire as the ripples of ecstasy coursed over him. His eyes were closed, his senses focused on the trembling bliss that poured his seed into her. Another surge of pleasure tore through him, and he arched his back, inhaling raggedly before dropping from exhaustion onto her body.

Torio's legs tightened around him as his essence burst deep inside of her, pulling his driving hips against hers; his face was a mask of ecstatic concentration, his eyebrows pulled together and lips parted as his body shuddered and writhed on top of hers; as he sank forward, satiated and slick with sweat, her arms encircled him completely.

They lay there for a moment, intertwined and utterly spent. She loosened her hold on him, her arms and legs relaxing against his body as she sank into the bed under his weight. Her shoulder throbbed, the insistent, dull pain strangely satisfying. _I'll have to find myself a high collared dress for the morning._

_...do I have a high collared dress?_

"You viper," She said finally, laughing lightly. She pulled a hand back and rand a finger over the welted skin. "How am I going to explain this?"

Sand lazily opened one blue eye, then the other. He tilted his head and inspected the mark. It was currently an angry red and beginning to turn purple. Her voice was casual though and he smiled at her. "Just tell Nevalle or Casavir it was part of my interrogation technique. A...um... magical...glyph." He snuggled closer to her. "They'll never believe that, will they? Well the paladin might - he may be trusting and naive enough."

Torio lightly traced the tip of her big toed up the back of Sand's thigh, her other leg resting easily around his waist. "Ha! After what happened tonight the paladin might end up smiting anything within a twenty foot radius if he sees a mark on me; he was not particularly pleased with what he thought was happening this evening." She chuckled, turning her face and brushing her nose against his cheek. "Although technically, I wasn't either. But..." She smiled, her mouth brushing his face in the process. "...I have to say, I much prefer your interrogation techniques compared to others."

"Mmm." His flaccid, satiated member gave a twitch inside her as she ran her foot up his leg. "It would be interesting to have Casavir protective of you. Once he starts, he can be rather tenacious. Perhaps we could find some use for that." Sand kissed her neck. "Perhaps... I could interrogate you on a daily basis? There's so much about you to know."

"Oh is there?" She shifted slightly, uncurling her legs from his body and turning on her side, propping her elbow against the bed, her head resting on her hand; one leg was still tossed carelessly over his body as she drowsily traced the front of his chest with her free hand. "Well, I have happened to gather an extraordinarily large amount of information on the..." she eyed him archly from under her eyelashes, "...virility of moon elves. I suppose it might take quite a few sessions to get all of that information out of me."

Sand snorted. "I think I already know about the virility of moon elves. I am a walking study in such a topic." He blinked his eyes sleepily. "And don't change the topic, dear girl. I said I wanted to know about _you_." He yawned and snuggled closer to her. "I suppose though, it can wait until morning. The paladin _had_warned me against questioning you too much tonight. But don't think I'll forget!"

She chuckled lightly, wriggling so that she could get a grip on the blanket beneath them. She tugged it back, lifting her body off the mattress, and slid inside, holding it up so that Sand could follow. "I couldn't possibly think such, Bodaes." She nestled against him, shutting her eyes and yawning sleepily. "Mmm...but don't think that I'll go out of my way to remind you, ruthless interrogator that you are." She sank against him, pressing her face against his shoulder, and almost immediately fell asleep, one arm thrown haphazardly across his waist.

Sand crawled in after her and watched her fall asleep, her breathing steady. He stared at the ceiling for a moment, his exhausted mind replaying the events of the evening.

_Close. Too close._

He muttered a silent prayer of thanks to whatever god or goddess had saved them, glancing over again at Torio's sleeping form.

_Human on my faithless arm_

Sand kissed her lightly and then fell asleep.

* * *

Torio awoke slowly, creeping one eye open and taking note of the early pre-dawn grey light stealing across the sky through the window. She nestled against Sand for a moment, blinking her eyes rapidly as she forced herself into wakefulness. The elf was still breathing deeply, his lids closed and relaxed over his eyes; there was a faint line of annoyance on his forehead, his supple mouth pulled down slightly at the corners, and she smirked to herself.

_You have to admire someone who manages to look irritated even when they're asleep._

She slipped from the bed, pulling the blanket back around Sand's shoulders, and reached blindly for her dress; the candles had burned out long ago, and she pulled the garment on more by feel than anything, shrugging it back up over her shoulders and smoothing it over her body. She ran her fingers through her hair and then padded back over to the bed, bending over Sand's body.

A kiss for the corner of that slightly frowning mouth. "Good morning, _bodaes,_" she murmured against his lips, and then straightened, shuffling to the door. She listened for a moment, and then pulled it open a crack, peering out into the hallway.

Nothing, except the soft brush of Jaral darting between her legs and back into the room. She turned, eyeing Jaral warily as the ginger cat leapt up onto the bed, settled at Sand's feet, and watched her in the darkness, his eyes glowing at her eerily. She paused for a moment...Her and the feline had enjoyed a relationship of mutual acknowledgment; that is, they politely acknowledged the other existed while the cat would slip out of Sand's room for his nightly hunt and subsequent dinner, and Torio would slip in for...well, hers. So instead of the crooning, ear scratching, and ruffling of fur that probably would have embarrassed them both, she merely lifted her finger to her lips as she gazed at the cat, and then slipped out, shutting the door quietly behind her. Clutching her skirt in her hand, she slipped silently through the halls to her own room.

* * *

Sand half-awoke, rolling over and reaching out, searching for Torio. Nothing. He opened his eyes. Her half of the bed was empty except for Jaral who was licking a paw with the self-satisfied smirk of a cat, and cool to the touch where her body had been. She must have left hours ago.

_Smart girl._

Sand sat up and hopped off the bed. He picked up the leather tie for his hair, securing the dark strands back away from his face. He pulled out a clean robe from his wardrobe and dressed.

Time to find Nevalle.


	11. Chapter 11

**Part XI: Acta non Verba**

Torio smoothed the high collar of her dress down; apparently she _did_have clothing that covered her from neck to toe. The back of the dress, however, was another story; she was afraid to bend over for fear of flashing the curves of a few lower extremities. She sighed in irritation.

There was something more important on her mind, regardless. Nevalle had nearly tortured information out of her the previous night, information that she didn't have. He had ordered her to acquire it.

The guards were supposed to be moving the assassin to the basement as she readied herself. She stepped out into the hallway, her heels clacking ominously against the flagstones; in the shallow pockets of her skirt was a vial, and hidden beneath her dress, strapped to her thigh, was a tiny boot-knife.

With Nevalle's near-successful attempt to twist her into knots the night before still ringing clearly in her head, she was half hoping she'd need to use it as she breezed past Mephasm and pushed open the door to one of the many back storerooms to the basement. The assassin was shackled to the far wall, the guard that had brought her down standing off to one side.

"Watch the door," she said sharply, and the guard left. She smiled at the assassin. "Hello, darling," she said silkily, shutting the door behind the retreating man's back. "You and I are going to have a little chat."

The assassin eyed the woman that had come in but made no move to tug on the shackles. She knew they were secure; she'd heard the definitive click. Half a week in the stockade had left her sore, tired, and filthy - though they did feed her and water her like clockwork.

But it would take more than a few intimidation tactics to break her. She spat at the woman, reaching deep into her parched throat and expelling the spittle as far as she could. Her eyes flashed angrily; as far as she was concerned - the conversation was over before it had even begun.

Torio sidestepped the weak spray of spittle, sighing long-sufferingly. "Come now," she said soothingly. "We're civilized women, are we not?" She placed her hands on her hips, eyeing the girl. "I've only a few questions for you, and then you can go; why make this hard on yourself?"

She briefly considered the irony of forcing information out of someone after having briefly escaped such a fate herself. _The gods must laugh at us sometimes. _She asked, smoothly, "Why did Garius send you here?"

The captured rogue lifted her head, impressed the woman was barely fazed. "I know who you are, you kept Luskan bitch. You turned when faced with death - you're weak. Pathetic!" She laughed. "You know they won't let me go - just as how they're never going to let you go. You think serving Nasher loyally will earn you your freedom? You will never be free again."

Torio eyed the girl coolly. "Pardon me if I don't take the advice of a woman in shackles." She slid a hand into her pocket and removed the vial; the clear, slightly foggy liquid swirled against the glass sides as she lovingly fingered the corked top, her manicured nails scratching across its surface. "Perhaps you'll see, by the time we're done, that freedom starts with telling the truth." She brought her face close enough to the assassin's so that she could still be heard, whispering, "Why did Garius send you here?"

The assassin laughed again. "I have resigned myself to my fate; you still struggle Torio Claven. That's why you're down here questioning me. You're but a pawn and you know it. That elf you spend time with - oh yes I've seen you with him, sneaking into his room after dark and then back to your room before the sun rises like a whipped spaniel - do you think he really cares about you? He's too good for you."

She lunged suddenly, her teeth bared, and attempted to bite Torio.

Torio's hand snapped up, clamping around the girl's jaw with a painful _slap_! as the assassin lunged forward like a piranha on the scent. The words stung, as much as she hated to admit it; she gripped hard, letting her nails dig in to the assassin's flesh...

_"...never lose your temper; you are in control, and emotional spectacles only weaken you in their eyes..."_

She almost flinched at Garius' old words echoing through her head, but her face remained calm, schooled. "Well," she said calmly, a dark light in her eyes. "It appears that you know a bit more than you've let on, my girl." Her free hand popped the cork from the vial, a thin stream of effervescence rising from the surface of the liquid. "Let us hope it's not _too_much." She tilted the vial and let a trickle of the fluid drip into the girl's mouth, her fingers pressing in on her cheeks and holding the assassin's mouth open.

As she felt the liquid drop into her mouth, the assassin began struggling in earnest, trying to spit the foul potion back up. She tried wrenching her face from the other woman's clawed hands and only succeeded in getting deep welts across her cheeks. She gasped then coughed as the liquid dripped into the back of her throat. There was a strange tugging sensation in her head, like a seductive voice encouraging her to just tell the Luskan a little bit. A little bit and she'd go away... "Garius sent me here to kill Nevalle. Or did that fact escape your pretty, empty head, Claven?"

Torio held the vial back, eyeing the girl closely; her pupils had dilated a mere fraction. "Come now, you know what I mean. _Why_did Garius send you here? Why is Nevalle suddenly a target of interest to him?" She shook the girl's face lightly. "Don't tell me that the Master of the Fifth Tower has resorted to relying on cutpurses and half-cocked assassins in my absence."

The drug was tugging at her mind. The assassin hissed lowly, "Nevalle is Nasher's most important aid. With him gone, all efforts of resistance will be in disarray." The pressure on her thoughts eased and the assassin snarled, "With you gone we have accomplished more in weeks than you ever did in months." She twisted her head around again and tried sinking her teeth into Torio's hand.

Torio hissed as the assassin's teeth sink into her hand, pulling it back sharply before swinging back into a ricocheting slap, knocking the girl's head sideways. "Don't be foolish," she snapped. "Have you learned _nothing_in Garius' service?"

She inhaled deeply, calming herself, before reaching out once more. This time her small, slender fingers clasped around the assassin's throat, finding the small bunched nerves at the base of her jawline. She mulled for a moment, applying a slow, steady pressure to the highly sensitive area, waiting for the pain to become unbearable. Nevalle was an obvious target for anyone, but it didn't make sense; Garius had expended too much energy in attempting to kill the twins. "Why Nevalle? Why not the twin Knight Captains?"

The rogue gasped as the Luskan began applying pressure. She choked out the words. "Torture tactics. You ...you must be getting desperate. Tell me Claven, does your little elf like it rough too?" The salty tears were beginning to form behind her eyelids and she weakly pulled against the chains. She tried working her jaws and easing the pain, but the other woman had a vise-like grip on her. Red spots were beginning to appear in front of her eyes... "Because...because killing the Knight Captains would only mean the fall of the Keep... Killing Nevalle would mean the fall of Neverwinter...strike at the head of the serpent..."

Torio's eyes narrowed into slits. There was no denying that the girl knew about the nature of her relationship with Sand. And no one else could know about Sand, or Nasher's wrath would fall on their heads harder than a collapsing Keep, and the result would be just as lethal.

"I would be careful with what you say about the wizard," she said, her voice low and dangerous. "I would hate for you to make yourself utterly expendable." She gave the assassin's throat a cruel squeeze before letting her go, drawing her hand back. "Now...let us try to be civilized once more, shall we?" She held up the vial, tapping a finger against the side. "How did you know _exactly_where the Knight's room was?"

The prisoner sagged in her chains when Torio let her go, taking deep gulping breaths. She eyed the vial before saying flatly, "If you kill me, Garius will bring me back as a shadow, more powerful than before, and I'll come for my revenge." She took another ragged breath. "I'll kill you fifty times over. Or..." Her voice took on a sly edge despite its hoarseness. "Maybe I'll kill the elf, suck out his soul and make him scream for you to hear. How does that sound? That's a promise - from me to you, Claven."

She closed her eyes, blinking away the embarrassing tears that had formed. Her shoulders were burning. "The tiefling. Sneaking in there night after night. Like you, dog. Everybody sneaks around in this godsforsaken Keep."

Torio frowned thoughtfully for a moment, watching the girl as she hung there. _It's too easy to get into this Keep...what are the guards doing? She must have been watching for days to see any sort of pattern in what Neeshka was doing. _

_...or in what I was doing..._

She was not one to soften at future threats of violence from chained prisoners; she'd heard most of them before. But the mental image the girl conjured up was unpleasant, and her eyes glittered coldly as she stepped forward. "And are you the only shadow I should be wary of, my little boot-licking cur, or are there others? How many of you has Garius shucked under his crooked little wing?"

The assassin snorted. "You think Garius gives me numbers? I'm not his secretary, wench, though I'm sure you did that job admirably." She stared to Torio defiantly.

Torio suddenly had a decision to make. The assassin seemed to know little else. And yet she knew exactly too much about a topic that needed to be kept secret at all costs.

Nevalle might get suspicious, but he would have other things to worry about; she had enough to give him a thorough report, as well as multiple recommendations on how to lay a sterner hand on the sentries. _If Garius' people could walk right up to the Keep and spy on it for days without getting caught..._

Who else could be spying on them? _A thorough search of any entry points, as well, and maybe questioning some of the Duty Corporals on how they're patrolling the walls..._

Her eyes flicked back to the girl, glaring at her defiantly. Could she risk it?

_At all costs..._

"One of the many things I did admirably," she said calmly, reaching out and running her hand against the girl's cheek, almost pityingly, "was to always survive questioning." She wrenched the girl's head back, and in one, quick movement, emptied the contents of the vial in its entirety down her throat.

The assassin choked as the fluid poured itself down her throat. She tried coughing violently, heaving her stomach in hopes of vomiting up the burning liquid but the days of being held in the stockades had left her in a weakened state. The serum seemed to a burn a whole in her mind and she felt totally open to the world. Her mouth began working against her will...

"He's bought out half the thieves in Neverwinter, I swear it, all of us that didn't want to work for Axle. He gave us so much gold and the jobs were so easy, too easy..." There was a painful twist in her abdomen and she jerked in her chains. "I hate you so much Torio Claven. None of us could ever measure up to you. He hates you now though - he has a special place for you when his army destroys this Keep. You'll be chained here for all time..."

The poison was destroying the nerves in her legs and they twitched and convulsed even as the assassin continued to speak uncontrollably, "I'll be back for your elf though. Garius will let me have that - you're not the only one he taught of torture. I'll give him an eternity of pain and make you listen..."

Her arms were burning and shaking. All her thoughts were coming up as she thought them. "Killing the Knight was supposed to be so easy. The Keep is so poorly defended it is amazing you aren't overrun by goblins. You're all going to die, you know that don't you? Why are you resisting - you can't win..."

The poison was seeping into her beating heart; with each pulse it spread upwards into her brain. There was a loud rushing, windy noise in her ears. She was vaguely aware her entire body was seizing in its chains, thrashing in her death throes. It was going so dark. The world was turning gray and narrow and there was no light at the end of the tunnel as it had been often said - but for one final lucid moment, she looked at Torio. "Oh gods, I'm so scared..."

Najwa, assassin for Garius, thief of Neverwinter, gave one last breath and died.

Torio slipped the empty phial into her pocket. "Aren't we all," she said quietly. She stared at the dead girl for a moment, her last threats sending clutching chills down her spine.

"Guard!"

The door behind her opened.

"Fetch the gith, and remove this..._nothing_...to outside the walls. Have the cleric purify the corpse; there's a possibility it will turn come evening." She turned pushing past the guard's startled expression. "Once she is done, burn it."

She strode past Mephasm once again, who clucked his tongue at her approvingly. She ignored him; the basement stairs seemed to stretch on forever, and each step seemed to weigh her down until she could hardly lift one heeled foot in front of the other; and then somehow, miraculously, she was back in the hallway adjacent to the throne room, exiting the doorway and striding back towards her chambers, her shoulders thrown back in their usual way, as if every step she took conquered a flagstone.

She pushed the door to her room open, seating herself at her desk. She spread a clean roll of parchment in front of her and dipped her quill in the ink bottle.

_ I'll give him an eternity of pain and make you listen..._

Shutting her eyes and allowing herself the luxury of a ragged, indrawn breath, she placed the quill to parchment and began to write, her hand as steady as a rock.

Nevalle seemed indifferent towards Torio's news that the assassin was dead, when she brought her report to him hours later. Her eyes were dry from staring down into the parchment, her fingertips ink-stained and blackened. _Blackened better than bloodied._

Technically she hadn't escaped that, either.

She passed one of the high parapets that walled in the narrow walkways outside of the Keep's windows, and paused for a moment, stepping outside. A fire was smoldering down to its inevitable demise far on the courtyard's grounds; she didn't want to think of what was burning in it. The twin Knight Captains were bickering playfully outside of the tavern below her, and she watched them for the barest of moments; safe in their heroism, their duty, their honorable intent; _did they even know what it took to stay alive in these times? Did they know what others around them had to do in order to keep them safe?_

As she turned to head back into the Keep, towards her chambers and more likely than not Sand's eventual embrace, she knew she would go to sleep easily when the time came for it tonight, if anyone could be said to rest easily in these times. Her dreams would remain relatively untroubled, her head resting lightly on the pillow, able to sleep the sleep of the innocent while bearing the scarlet stained hands of a murderer.

The thought was more troubling than anything her guilty conscience could have whispered to her.

_Sleep well, Ambassador._

_FIN_

_Volume 1_


End file.
